Of Body and Mind
by Might is Right
Summary: AU. Raymond has 2 different people living inside his mind. He doesnt see this as a threat to his health but Fairy Tail knows better. Tartaros has shown themselves as a threat to the peace of the world. Fairy must neutralize them.
1. Of Body and Mind

**Of Body and Mind. **

"_Hmm, what do I think of the soul? I feel like it is terrible. We are terrible people, constantly trying to steal power from others. The soul is a sin and I will never be clean. Never, never, ever." – Former prince Bartholomew._

**And hello there. This story is about a young boy named Raymond or just Ray. This story takes place, only a day after Circle of War II. **

**Im not going for an overall big picture story here like in my others stories. If you have read my other stories, you know what im talking about. Anyways, here it is.**

Ray always knew he was "different". He would hear voices. Strange voices, coming from within his head. They told him strange things. They would constantly talk in his sleep and they wouldn't go away. His parents were worried but Ray wasn't.

He liked these voices.

They told him what to do, like drink the water or jump over the log and Ray listened. Was there ever a reason not to listen? But Ray didn't know. He didn't know that these voices would one day lead him down a path of darkness. And that he would never be able to escape.

These voices belonged to some strange people. Julius Silence and Vincent Faro.

**Shortest prologue ever but whatever. This IS an OC story and look on my profile for the form. I am only accepting OCs that I feel will help move the plot forward so try your best to make good OCs please. Thanks and review? FF**


	2. Dark Omen

**Why hello there! Welcome to the first actual chapter! Theres not much to say besides as few a few things. There will be a few cameos from Circle of War II and an OCxOC thing going on (LunarBlaze). Anyways, the events so far first and then the story after! Enjoy.**

_The dethroning of Cyrus the Ironfisted was a surprise to everyone. It appeared on radios, public announcements and newspapers all over the world. The world was a different place now. It was filled with good people and the tyranny of Cyrus had been taken away by the daughter he had once loved. With the reestablishment of the Wizard Council, the guilds of Fiore could once again operate under their own interest instead of being called upon by the army to help them win wars. _

_With the dual coronation of Lidia and Tate, there were some changes. The old tombs of the heroes were lost but statues could be built and Lidia placed the statues of the old heroes in the capital, still named Adrianople. Tate placed the statues of the old villains in the city of Crocus. The Darian Code was dissolved and was replaced by the Lex Gario, the Body of Law. The new code did well and granted people more freedom than ever. _

_However, there was something wrong, a slight flaw in the vision that the good people of the world had envisioned. There had to be evil in a world of good. This was the basic nature of the world but it had been ignored. So as the people continued with their lives, the evil grew, unbeknownst to anyone other than a select few. Something nobody had even thought about for the past century. What of the first Nightmare Mage? The son of Evil, Zeref? And that was what allowed a group of individuals to save the life their they called their own. _

**Dew Town**

"Raymond! Are you up yet? You don't want to be late to the guild do you?"

Raymond Belmont was a young boy, just over 9 years old. He was currently sitting in his room, looking at an old book of legends. He had grown quite fond of the old book and would read it daily. His favorite stories were of the goddess Fate and the Silence Uprising. But currently, he was reading a story about a young boy named Vincent Faro. It was a strange story, beginning with the birth of a boy with no abnormalities. But as the story went on, it became apparent that the boy was no normal child, possessing abilities that no one else had.

"Born of Evil herself, the boy was taken away and never seen again…" Raymond read, eyes brimming with interest.

The story abruptly ended there, not even explaining what the boy's abilities were and what happened to him. Raymond shrugged and opened the door to his room in the medium sized house in Dew Town. He quickly went downstairs and sat at the table, his mother making eggs and a sandwich. The food was finished and Raymond's mother set the breakfast on the table, smiling at him.

"Today is a special day isn't it? Our boy Raymond is going to Fairy Tail for his first time!" his mother said smiling as she thought about her son at Fairy Tail.

Raymond nodded excitedly, already having finished his sandwich. It was such an honor to go to Fairy Tail and enlist in their ranks. Who would have thought that this little blonde haired boy with dark brown eyes and a beaming smile would grow up to be a mage and enter the world of magic? Raymond quickly finished his breakfast and hopped down from the chair and he went towards the door and opened it.

"Mom! I am leaving!" he said to his mom who was washing the dishes.

"Have fun and don't forget to write to us alright Ray? And make sure you're careful on those dirt trails alright?" his mother called after him as Ray nodded and he headed out the door towards Fairy Tail.

It would be a long walk and Ray smiled to himself as he walked through the cobblestone streets towards the gates of the city. Fairy Tail, go!

**Adrianople, the Fortress**

A group of people stood around something covered by a red cloth trimmed with gold. Among the group were some influential people. Queen Lidia and her consort Hyde. Two of the consorts, Lucia Tsubasa and Hitoshi Ryuusaga and finally, the general of the Red Army, Tadaaki Ryuusaga.

"Such a terrible thing…" Lidia murmured as she looked down at the cloth that hid whatever lay underneath.

Everyone else nodded. They had no fond memories of Otto, the former Crown Prince, but it was unfitting for anyone to die this way. Hyde looked at the cloth and frowned.

"But it doesn't make sense. Why would Otto die so soon? No sign of depression at all and suddenly, he sends up dead on the concrete?" Hyde said, almost angrily.

"Maybe it was because of the lose he suffered…" a new voice said, making everyone turn their heads.

Tadaaki, Hitoshi and Lucia were shocked to see Cyrus and Bartholomew walking towards them. The old tyrant king was hunched over like an old man, his eyes dark and clouded. The former prince was looking well and the two joined the circle looking down at Otto's shroud. Cyrus looked at his daughter and frowned.

"Otto had everything he wanted. A title, a family, magic. But then you stole it from him. It is no wonder he wanted to die so badly. If anyone should be blamed for his death, it should be you." Cyrus said darkly as he turned slowly and walked back towards the castle in which he would most likely spend the rest of the day playing chess with himself.

Lucia and Tadaaki looked at Bartholomew who was just staring down at the shroud.

"And what do you think Bartholomew. What do you think really happened to Otto." Tadaaki asked him bluntly.

The former prince looked at him with sad eyes. Lucia glared at Tadaaki and the young general looked away, ashamed to be asking such a question to a grieving brother.

"I don't know. I cant answer that question right now…" Bartholomew said as he turned and walked away silently.

The rest of the circle just closed their eyes and within a few seconds, drops of fine water dropped on top of them and rain started to fall over the city.

**Near Fairy Tail**

"_Fairy Tail huh? Its been a while since I heard that name." _one of the voices in Raymond's head said.

Raymond nodded and he stood in the middle of the market in Magnolia, taking in all the sights. People walking around, buying things and Raymond could feel the life surrounding him. Magnolia was incredible! The people were friendly and best of all, Fairy Tail towered over the city, on top of Fairy Hill.

"Really? You heard of Fairy Tail too?" Raymond asked he voice in his head.

"_Yes. I think one of my friends joined them. I cant really remember though." _The voice said back.

Raymond was continuing up the sloped hill towards Fairy Tail when suddenly a new voice entered his head. Raymond was smiling and singing all the while.

"**Sorry about that. I was…helping a family member collect a debt….whats this? Fairy Tail? Oh goody! Look Julius! It's the accursed Fairy Tail! Wouldn't it look just beautiful…if it burned DOWN?" **the new voice said, seemingly taunting the other voice.

"_Quiet Vincent! Cant you see Raymond is enjoying himself!" _Julius scolded Vincent.

Raymond came right up to the door of Fairy Tail, looking in awe at the magnificent design. He put his handle on the door, trying to ignore the bickering of the two voices in his head.

"Here we go! Fairy Tail!" he shouted happily as he pulled open the door and was immediately struck by a ham sandwich.*

"Natsu! Gajeel! Wendy! What in the world are you doing!" shouted Gildartz as the old guild master chased after the three dragonslayers.

Raymond smiled widely while the sandwich slid off his face. The guild was amazing! People were everywhere. Throwing things, shouting, fighting and drinking all sorts of weird drinks! Meanwhile, a barmaid and a woman in armor was shouting, pointing towards him.

"QUIET! We have a guest!" they shouted as the whole guild quieted down and looked towards Raymond.

Raymond grew red in the face as he realized everyone was looking at him. A man in the back of the guild wearing a heavy fur coat and headphones smirked and finished his drink.

"Who's the squirt?" he asked.

"**Squirt? I dare you to call me that again mortal! When I overtake this pathetic body I will destroy you!" **screamed the voice of Vincent in dark rage.

"I-I-I-" Ray couldn't finish his sentence as he fell to the ground and fainted.

…**.**

"I want you two to take care of him for a while alright? Is that ok with you two?"

"Oh sure! Are you ok with it Azami?"

"Yep! I think this could be fun!"

"I knew I could trust you two. Honestly, the whole guild is a bit suspicious with the new kid. I don't think I need to remind you two about what happened last time a strange kid came to our guild."

"No sir, you don't."

"Then I will take my leave. Try to make him feel welcome. I don't want Laxus making him feel uncomfortable."

There was a sound like a door closing and Raymond started to open his eyes. He looked to his left to see a boy and a girl talking to each other and laughing. The girl was 5'6", long midnight blue hair with nine, dark gray streaks in her hair and she had sapphire eyes with some visible silver specks, tanned skin, and silver-rimmed rectangular glasses. She wears a white, loose long-sleeved shirt, a gray vest with a light blue Fairy Tail emblem on the back over the shirt, a black fingerless glove on her right hand, black pants, and black shoes. Her guild stamp is on the palm of her right hand and it is blue with a silver outline. The boy was of middle height, green eyes, somewhere between very pale and very tan, not very well built, and wild red hair. He wore a white, button down, long sleeved shirt, a black vest, a loose black tie, black dress pants and black sandals.

The girl was the first to notice Raymond sitting up, hand on his forehead and she went over to help him sit up. The boy came with a glass of water and handed it to Raymond. Ray looked at the two, confused.

"Where am I and who are you?" he asked bluntly.

The two smiled and introduced themselves.

"I am Asura Nala'ar." The boy said. "And I am Azami Shion! Pleased to meet you!" the girl said happily.

Raymond nodded and he said his own name and looked around the room. A small wooden desk, an old bookshelf and a medium sized window next to the bed he was sitting in. Everything seemed to be made of wood. But where was he?

"Is this…Fairy Tail?" he asked shyly.

The girl nodded and suddenly Raymond was struck with an image of a battlefield. People screamed in pain as they lay in the grassy field stained with blood and the advancing army marched forward, a sea of black armor as they shouted their vicious war chant.

"Seik de Freik!"

And suddenly Raymond was back in the small room in Fairy Tail. Azami and Asura were looking at him, concerned looks on their faces. Raymond smiled and they relaxed.

"So…am I in Fairy Tail now?" Raymond asked, hoping he had been chosen to join the guild.

Azami and Asura smiled and Azami held up a stamp and smiled.

"Just tell us where you want your stamp and we can go pick out a job? That sound alright?" she said, bringing a huge smile to Raymond's face.

"Yeah! That would be awesome!" Raymond shouted happily.

**The Wizard Council building, Crocus**

The wizard council no longer met in Adrianople. They met in an ancient but famous concert hall that had once been a place where the greatest composers of Fiore played their music. But currently, the council was in session. The death of Otto Evadeus had shaken everyone, especially Lidia. The possibility of Otto being a victim to a serial killer was very likely and the council met now, under Hyde and Lidia's watchful eye and they discussed the dangers that were approaching.

"A string of killings in several cities…" one of the council members murmured.

"Indeed and I heard this was the work of a single dark guild?"

"Put out a warning to every guild. We don't want anyone else getting hurt! No one is to step foot in Basca Forest and recall all jobs asking people to go there!"

"Indeed. We must make sure no one else can set foot in Basca forest. Who knows whats going on there? The Goddess of Life have mercy on us." The members of the council said as they stood and ended the meeting.

With the ending of the meeting, all the jobs involving anywhere near the Basca Forest were recalled. However, something always goes wrong.

**Fairy Tail**

"Capture a thief living in Basca Forest? A C level mission. Shouldn't be too tough should it?" Asura said as he took the job off the request board and showed it to Azami and Raymond.

"Sure, looks simple enough. Are you ready for you first mission Ray?" Azami asked, smiling at Raymond.

"Yeah! Lets hurry and go! I want to hurry and do the mission!" the young boy cried out excitedly.

"That settles it then! Lets go!" Asura said as the group of three headed out the door towards Basca Forest, unaware of how big the evil that was hiding there was.

***It's a tradition that in every story involving an OC joining Fairy Tail, they will be hit in the face by a sandwich. Started in Hudson Story I think. **

**Anyways, this was a pretty good chapter. Anyways, review and remember that OC submissions are open until the end of this week! Thanks! FF**


	3. Black Keys

**Hello, I was bored and I finished up my research paper for a project I had due and I was in the mood to write. Anyways, here we meet some of the primary villains in this story! **

**Also thanks to Edward the Pure and LunarBlaze for really inspiring this story format. **

**Enjoy and meet the villains.**

_Basca Forest. It was a dark and mysterious forest and it was said there that in the darkest of nights, spiders as large as houses appeared from underground, ready to feed on unsuspecting travelers. And as our heroes travelled to the forest, who knew what really lurked within the forest?_

**?**

Deep within the Basca Forest, there was a house built into the biggest tree in the forest. The path getting to the wooden was harsh and it could not been seen well in the dark for the other trees shaded the path and the soft candlelight coming from the small windows could barely be seen by the overwhelming darkness. But behind the small wooden door of the small house that was built into the tree trunk, a group of men up to no good met in secrecy.

There were 4 of them, sitting at an old wooden table, each had their faces covered with darkness despite the soft candlelight glow except one. He was a young man, short manly hair that was dark brown with blonde streaks at the sides and he wore a green greatcoat that made his shoulders seem extremely wide. His amber eyes seemed to be empty and he was staring straight ahead into the shadows that covered the face of another man. They were in a conversation, speaking in voices barely above a whisper.

" The Wizard Council has found us. That Feodor is as sharp as an embalming tool." One of the men snickered.

"Quite. It doesn't surprise me as the brightest mages of all of Fiore have been chosen to lead the council. A disservice to us but we can work around it." Another man said, getting a nod from the man who was not covered in shadow.

The young man smiled slowly, enjoying the conversation. It was not often that these men would sit down and have a chat.

"I see. Then, Hades, do you plan on involving yourself directly with the Wizard Council? It would be quite fun." The young man said coolly.

There was a cough and the young man looked over at the head of the table although there was only a void of shadow to see. However, a single red eye glowed in the darkness and the young man couldn't help but feel pure evil radiate from the head of the table.

"Bael, I suggest you continue with what you do here. I want everything dug up and in my possession by the end of the month. You have been feasting enough and you have grabbed the attention of the fools of the Council." The voice said, dark but full of life at the same time.

Bael nodded slowly knowing who he was dealing with. Zeref, the First Nightmare Mage and the champion of Evil. Bael wasn't really a well known illegal mage but he had a skill that made him invaluable to the group's cause. He hadn't been officially initiated but this was the final meeting before he was officially a member. Suddenly, a scroll sealed with black wax was put on the table by an invisible hand. Bael stared at it, wondering what was written inside.

"A note to the self proclaimed heroes that have made their way to us. Try not to hurt them too much. Just hand them the letter and, oh, this." Zeref said, shrouded in darkness as something else was put on the desk.

It was a ring, a serpent carved from solid sapphire coiled around pure silver and the serpent's eyes glowed red with rubies. Bael reached across the table and picked it up and looked at it.

"What meaning could this have? An intricate ring?" Bael asked to no one in particular.

"They will know what it means. It belonged to someone very dear to them. Hopefully it will stir up some emotion…" Hades said as Bael nodded.

There was a sound like a chair being slid back followed by several of the same sound and Bael himself stood.

"Sorry to disturb you in your own home but I think this threat must be taken care of. I already sent a good friend of mine to take care of the problem in Adrianople. Hehehehehe." A voice snickered as Bael nodded.

"No, it is fine. Thank you for this great honor. Now, if you don't mind, I must be going. I have my son to feed." Bael said as the candlelight was blown out and the room descended into darkness.

**The outside of Basca Forest**

Raymond stared up at the huge forests that flanked the dirt path. They were tall, the dark brown bark intimidating and the trees shook every single time a breeze went by. Several leaves fell from the trees and some passed by Ray's face and he brought up his hand up to his cheek to see that the leaves had left slight cuts. He looked to the side of him to see Asura looking at the forest with grim determination. He looked to the other side to see Azami smiling and folding her arms. How could they be so fearless when facing a challenge such as this?

"_Do not be afraid. This forest is not what you need to fear. Believe in yourself Raymond." _Julius said in Raymond's mind.

Asura looked down at Raymond and Asura ruffled Ray's hair. Raymond smiled, feeling and happy and Azami laughed softly. And suddenly he was standing on a battlefield, surrounded by soldiers fighting. The bullets whizzed by his ear, striking the dirt, kicking it up. Soldiers screamed in agony as they fell, bullets piercing through their armor and the vicious chants of the enemy filled his ears.

"Seik de Freik!"

Raymond could feel his gut being wrenched as he saw them advance forward, the bright flag with a black crown with steel knives surrounding it. And suddenly, he could feel a hand grab his head and raise him up to eye level with a skeleton. Raymond screamed and tears of fear began to spill from his young eyes. Grey skies, dust billowing through the battlefield, the cries of soldiers.

"**Are you afraid? Are you afraid of what you see? This is the real world. A world where struggle and strife is second nature. You can not keep your innocence forever! I will take your pitiful body and fulfill the task that I have been given!" **the skeleton said darkly as he threw Raymond into its gaping black hole that was its mouth.

And suddenly he was back standing next to Asura and Azami.

"…Raymond? Are you alright? You suddenly started crying!" Asura and Azami said together as they looked down at the young boy, obviously worried about him.

Raymond slowly wiped the tears away from his face and tried to smile as brightly as he could.

"I-its fine. I was just being silly…" Raymond said, knowing that he couldn't explain what had just happened.

Azami frowned and she looked at the forest.

"Well, we do have this job. Shall we go?" she asked both of her companions.

"Alright!" Raymond shouted excitedly as Asura laughed and the group of 3 ran into the forest.

…

Basca Forest wasn't as scary as it looked. Within the forest, several smaller trees grew and the wildlife wasn't afraid to come up and say hello and Azami had fed the deer several bits of a piece of bread she had brought with her. There was a dirt path so they never really lost their way and the sounds of birds chirping calmed them. Meanwhile, Asura and Azami looked at the job they had picked from the board.

"Find a thief living in the forest huh? Easier said than done. The forest is pretty big…" Azami said, obviously worried, looking around the forest.

Raymond nodded, feeling his enthusiasm disappear slowly and suddenly he noticed something strange. There was a thick patch of grass next to them, the greenish yellow grass being waist high. Several of the stalks were broken and Raymond pointed.

"Hey! Maybe the thief went through here!" he said showing Azami and Asura the broken stalks.

Asura scratched his head as he looked into the patch of grass stalks. It did look like a person could fit through there. Azami looked at Asura and he nodded.

"Alright, lets go." Asura said as the group entered the patch of grass and followed the broken stalks, listening to the singing of birds.

…

"Sssshhh!" Azami suddenly said, stopping everyone in their track as they crouched through the grass.

"What? What is it?" Asura whispered to Azami as she pointed to something amongst a few trees.

The group looked where Azami was pointing to see a figure looking a strange white rock. The man was clad in all brown and he had a hood covering his head. He seemed to be looking at a strange white rock and he was poking it with a stick. Azami whispered to the rest of the group as she laid out her plan.

"I say we rush him and grab him. Should be really easy." She whispered not taking her eyes off of the brown clad figure.

Asura continued to watch the figure, no doubt making his own plan. But then he sighed and nodded and Raymond could feel his excitement return. They were going to grab the thief!

"3…2…1!" Azami whispered quietly as the group silently burst from the patch of grass and rushed over the broken twigs and fallen leaves towards the figure clad in brown.

The group of mages dog piled on top of the figure in brown and they slammed him to the ground, the figure letting a cry of surprise. Asura quickly jumped off and rolled him over so they could see his face. A portrait of the villain was given with the request and Asura and Azami compared it to the brown clad man's face while Raymond poked the man with a stick and smiled happily. But the man was not happy. He made no move for a weapon but he made it clear he was unhappy.

"What is this all about! I assure you I am not doing anything wrong!" the man shouted in protest as Azami sighed and shook her head. Asura also gave a grunt as he folded the request and put it back in his pocket.

It wasn't the thief.

"Im very sorry for that. We thought you were a thief…." Asura said awkwardly as he helped the man stand.

Azami and Raymond grew red in the face as the man stood, and brushed himself off. Their failure was embarrassing but it was a good attempt to capture the criminal. The man nodded but then looked back at the strange white rock that he had been looking at earlier. In the soft light of the sun above, it seemed to glow and everyone couldn't help but feel mesmerized.

"Do you know what kind of rock this is? Im not from around here and I would be most appreciative if you could tell me." The man asked as everyone stared at the strange rock and looked around it.

It was pure silky white all around and it was as big as an average sized boulder which was pretty large. However, it seemed to be shake every once in a while giving the impression that it wasn't a rock at all.

Azami touched the rock in curiosity but then pulled away, letting out a scream of disgust. Asura looked troubled and the man was frowning.

"Whats wrong?" Asura asked, as Azami shook her hand, wanting to get rid of the unknown substance that she had touched.

"Something was on the rock! Its all sticky! And I think its spider webs!" she shouted as she looked at the rock with disgust.

The man raised his eyebrows and looked back at the rock. Spider webs? Could this be true? They didn't have enough time to investigate as suddenly, the rock developed a crack and the sounds of something growling could be heard. Everyone took a step back, frightened by the rock suddenly cracking open. But it didn't stop there, no, the crack grew bigger and the growls grew louder and louder as the entire rock split open and a huge spider stepped out!

Everyone shouted in surprise and fear as they jumped out of the way of the huge spider, bigger than a house. Its 8 beady black eyes watched as everyone scrambled out of the way and green venom dripped from its sharp teeth. Brown, furry, vicious was the arachnid that stood in front of them, but weirdest of all, there was someone on top of the spider!

Raymond had jumped to the side and he watched as the person on top of the spider leaned over the side. He was wearing a green greatcoat, had short brown hair with blonde streaks on the sides and his amber eyes watched over the forest as he spoke.

"Ah I see. Its rare to receive visitors from Fairy Tail. I guess this is what they were speaking about, self proclaimed heroes. Come here to do a job perhaps? Too bad, im afraid you have to leave now but do take this present with you!" Bael shouted from on top of the huge spider as he threw the scroll and ring towards Azami.

Azami quickly caught the 2 objects, a scroll of paper and a ring and shivered as she watched the spider tower over her. And then suddenly, her worst fears were realized. The spider, it was doing something! Asura let out a shout but Azami couldn't hear it and Raymond was crying out in fear as a web of darkness crashed towards them and Azami let out a scream of pure terror, unwilling to return to the darkness that had once swallowed her.

**Adrianople, Lidia's private quarters**

Lidia was staring out over the city of Adrianople, looking out over the city's lights and wondered if she had truly kept her promise to the witch queen. The lights of the campfires and of the houses of those allowed to return from those exiled to Crocus made her feel happy. Those lights lightened up the dark nights where she spent restless, remembering the dark words of the Shadow Lord and the Blood Saint. But she could have these few seconds to be happy, to stare out at the lights.

Suddenly she heard a noise. She turned around, expecting Hyde to be entering the room after a long day. But instead, there stood a man wearing a black greatcoat with the shape of a silver snake embroidered on it. He was tall, long blonde hair, cigarette hanging in his mouth which was curled in a cruel grin. Lidia narrowed her eyes, ready to call the guards.

"Who are you!" she demanded angrily, ignoring her fear of possible death.

The man didn't respond and continued to walk forward, his left arm turning into a steel blade. Lidia shouted for the guards but the man moved incredibly fast, the blade cutting across Lidia's body and the young queen falling to the ground, her blood spilling over her hand and onto the marble floor. Lidia let out a scream of pain and the man dropped his cigarette on the floor and looked around the room quickly and stepped on top of the balcony, the wind blowing his hair. Suddenly a shout came from behind him.

"Lidia! No! Guards! Guards!"

Hyde came running forward, sword drawn, but the man was too quick, jumping off the balcony and disappearing into the inky blackness below the balcony. Hyde let out a shout of rage and quickly rushed over to grab Lidia as she struggled to keep her blood from spilling over even more. Her vision was going blurry and as she was set on the floor as several doctors bent over her, bandaging the wound, she wondered if this was how Noel felt when he saw his sister's distressed face as he suffocated.

**?**

A single man sat at a large oak wood desk, looking at the several black keys that lay on a velvet display. His dark green eyes looked at the keys carefully and he smiled as he looked down at the small string of keys that were clipped on a small golden rope that went over his heart. There were a few silver keys but no gold ones. The man was middle aged, black hair combed neatly, wearing what appeared to be a black military uniform and holding a cane.

In front of the desk was a huge concrete box and it would have been mistaken for a concrete table had there not been a lid to open it. It was a coffin. But the man was concentrating on the several keys laid out in front of him.

Black keys, made of solid black iron, finally completed.

The man stood up and looked at a map of Fiore. Several locations were marked. One of them was the secret guild building of Tartaros and the man produced a note from his pocket. It was yellowed with age and creased from how many times it had been folded. He opened the note and reread the words he had read countless times over and over.

_Dear Ferdinand Osterrik, the guild master of Tartaros: The time has come. Snake Fang will rise again._

**This was supposed to be 2 chapters but I ran out of time to make 2 chapters and had to lump everything into one. So yes, it looks terrible. WAAAAYYYY too much stuff happened for just one chapter.**

**Also, Bael was a Carthaginian god that was the chief deity for them. Interesting story that. **

***Pronounced Oster-rick, put together really fast.**

**Yeah, so like I said, there was supposed to something like a triple update because The Sun Thief was supposed to come out but then it was 8 by the time that I finished because there was also an essay I had to get through. Anyways, bye. FF**


	4. Malice Code

**Sometimes I forget that Lucy is the real main character of Fairy Tail. I often believe that Natsu is the one who is the main character. Also, did anyone else read the Fairy Tail today?**

**Mashima is an expert at trolling. But that's bad for me because I actually expected some amazing new guild to come besides Saber Tooth who turned out to be a disappointment because Rufus looks extremely fodder. But no, I got the Fairy Tail B team which led to me just going to sleep around 1 in the morning. **

**I also have a question, do you guys like Lucy? Her magic is definitely interesting and I have a few ideas as you most likely saw last chapter. So…in this chapter, we start off the first ARC. Yes there will be arcs in this story like in Malice Story. I plan for this story to last me until I go on hiatus. Also more details on the enemy will be released because I have an EPIC idea for Tartaros. Thanks.**

_Fiore Daily: Garlan queen assassination attempt! _

_Yesterday at approximately 10 at night, an assassin entered our queen's private quarters. The queen attempted to defend herself but the assassin wounded her greatly but her consort arrived in time to fight the assassin off. Our queen is recovering but she has sustained a great injury, most likely not making a public anytime soon. The Garlan officials have not answered questions as to why no guards came when the queen called._

_Details of the assassin were released just before the queen was taken to a secured location. She described him as a tall man, long blonde hair that reached down to his knees and wearing all black and eyes that "would not even blink when they saw death". Further details are that he wore a black fedora and was wearing black gloves. He was also reportedly smoking a cigarette that was found in the chamber. The full details of this man will be released once the queen is released from protective custody._

_In other news, a group of Fairy Tail mages have gone missing. Gildartz, the guild master, refuses to comment on their status. Also, archeologists have reportedly found the area where the ancient graves of the old heroes* were moved. _

"….expected."

The newspaper was folded up neatly and thrown into a trash can as the man holding it walked past people on the street. He was dressed in all black and he wore a fedora on his head. His hair was also incredibly long, reaching down to his knees. He wasn't smoking like he usually did but he soon produced a lighter from his pocket and soon, a cigarette was smoking in his mouth. Nobody really paid attention to him as he stood on a street corner and smiled to himself. His eyes, hidden under the rim of the fedora scanned the street, looking for anybody who seemed suspicious. When he was convinced nobody was watching him, the man pulled out a small black device that he held up to his ear.

"Just read the paper. Said that a few Fairy Tail brats got taken down. Looks like Bael did the job." The man said neutrally, looking around as he spoke.

"Hmm, it seems so. Gin, what about you? There was mention of you in the paper. Any thoughts?" the voice on the other end said, obviously trying to get to speak more openly.

The man, Gin, knew better than to release all the details to his partner. Yes, they were partners but partners can betray each other. The man smiled as he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth with his left hand and let the smoke out, watching it disappear into the air.

"No, no thoughts. You just mind your own business Owen." Gin said as he got ready to hang up.

"Well that's no fun. I will make sure to complete my own work. Don't screw up." The voice on the other end said as there was a click and Gin put the device away.

Gin slowly smiled as he felt a shiver of excitement of down his spine and he pulled back his coat sleeve to reveal a tattoo in the shape of a black triangle with a ring around the downward point with small dark red circles for eyes.

**?**

"Come on rip the strands!"

"Alright hold on! Burn them off!"

"Are you an idiot?"

"All of you shut up and help me with this!"

Finally, the last strand was ripped away and Asura immediately sprang from the cocoon, gasping for breath, somehow having survived for an unknown amount of time in the cocoon. He looked around, ready to defend himself but then relaxed as he saw the concerned faces of the Fairy Tail mages around him.

"W-whats happened…this is Fairy Tail isn't it? Wheres the spider!" Asura shouted as he looked around for the huge spider that had attacked them.

Mira put her hand on Asura's shoulder and tried to calm him down.

"Theres no spider. You are safe Asura. Natsu and the others went after you after you guys never came back from the forest. Don't worry about the others, we already got them out. Although Azami is…looking bad…" Mira said, her face starting to grow worried.

Asura looked at Natsu and Gray who were glaring at each other. But then Asura knew he couldn't rely on them for real information. So he looked towards Lucy who was standing next to Erza, both looking worried.

"Azami…whats wrong with her…" Asura said seriously.

Lucy frowned and Erza stepped forward to answer. Asura knew that she would tell the truth, the Titania was always honest.

"Azami, she might not live. She must have gone into shock from that cocoon…just come with us." Erza said seriously as Asura nodded and followed her and Lucy to where they put Azami.

**Fairy Hills, girls dormitory **

Asura hurried, following Lucy and Erza to the girl's dormitory. They went up the wooden steps and they went down the corridor to the room where they had put Azami. Asura entered the room, noting how much the room looked like a hospital despite only having 2 people in beds. He saw Raymond in a bed but he was more worried about Azami, who was laying rigid in the bed. Lucy and Erza looked sadly down at Azami who was frozen in place. Asura knelt next to the bed.

"A-Azami? You there? Damn it….why did we have to take that mission…its all my fault damn it!" Asura shouted, angry at himself.

Lucy put her hand on Asura's shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up. Its not your fault. Im sure that Azami is going to be alright." Lucy said, trying to make Asura feel better.

Asura nodded, trying to keep a level head. Bael…he would pay. There was no doubt that he would pay. He swore on his honor but then he remembered that Bael had given him something! He looked at Erza.

"D-did you find anything when you broke open the cocoons? A letter or a ring?" Asura asked, hoping that they had found something.

"A ring? Oh yeah, we found something like that. The letter too. Here." Erza said as she handed the objects to Asura.

"Thanks." Asura said as he broke the wax seal on the letter and read it, frowning as he read the "letter".

_56 87 23 1 9 00 45 73 39920 192 234 888 4 7263 7294 77 2 930 33 222222 465720_

The damn thing wasn't even a letter! It was just a string of numbers! Asura felt anger rising within him and he was about to tear the letter into pieces when suddenly Lucy commented on the letter.

"Oh, Malice Code!" she said, looking at the numbers with interest.

"Huh?" Asura said as he looked at Lucy. "Malice Code? You know what this is?"

Lucy nodded and explained the whole thing to him. Erza also had knowledge on the subject but Lucy knew more, having spent a lot of time with Levy.

"Malice Code is something Malice used if she needed to send something secret. Its just a string of numbers and only Malice and a few others can decode it. The full key to the code is supposed to be in Worm Wood, Malice's spell tome." Lucy explained to Asura.

And Raymond unconsciously listened to all of this, his mind hearing this. He too was down for the count but not nearly as badly as Azami. But he was having his own dilemma.

"_So, you looked into that girl's past?" _Julius asked Raymond.

'I…think so…I don't know for sure…it just happens sometimes.' Raymond thought as he stood, his body transparent and misty.

For some reason, he couldn't see Julius or Vincent. That was strange, he thought that they would have bodies of their own.

"_I see. That may be useful for later but there is something else that is bugging me. That girl, Azami…she isn't very good in the dark is she?" _Julius said, his voice coming from the darkness.

"**Afraid of the dark? Pathetic. She is the weakest of the weak!" **Vincent suddenly snarled, his voice dark and full of menace.

"_We talk later, but for now…wake."_

Raymond woke up as Lucy told Asura where they needed to go to break the code.

"We have to visit Malice's tomb. Im sure the book was buried with her and there are many types of medicines there as well. We can help Azami, we just need to get the medicine!"

**Royceville...beneath the city**

"_Septmius…Filia Balosia Juana."_

The chants were ear shattering where Alzack and Bisca were hiding, behind a low rock wall made of dusty stone. They were observing some sort of…ceremony. There were several people dressed in black robes and they were chanting. They stood in a circular stone cylinder with several torches illuminating the room and giving a yellow glow. In the center of the room was a stone coffin.

"What the heck…" Alzack whispered to Bisca as they continued to observe the bizarre ceremony.

"Some sort of ritual…" Bisca said as she saw one of the black robed people touch the stone coffin and the coffin suddenly started to glow dark blue.

Alzack closed his eyes and tried to make sense of what this all was. They had been sent on a mission when the Wizard Council had required some people to go investigate a dark guild but they didn't see any dark guilds…all they saw was a cult. But why was there a stone coffin? Bisca looked over at Alzack, her face nervous.

"We should get out of here. I don't have a good feeling about any of this…" she said.

Alzack nodded. They had all the information they needed. They were going to stand and leave the cult behind when suddenly a voice came through the darkness.

"But you'll miss the best part! Do stay!"

The 2 mages didn't see the attack coming.

**And there we go. I hope you guys liked this chapter. And anyone who wants to send an OC, the form is on my profile. **

**Well, don't forget to review and I will see you all later! FF**


	5. Hydra Blades

**One two three one two three one two three one two three . That actually spells Gayben which translates to Gabe Newell who works at Valve Software and is responsible for the ever frustrating delay of Half Life 2: Episode 3. **

**Off of that nerdy topic, here we have a double update. I haven't done one of these in a while I think. I usually post once a day and start a new chapter if I have left over time. What time do you guys usually see that I update my stories? I know not everyone has the same timezone as I do. **

**Anyways, here we go. **

"Damn you!" Alzack shouted as he jumped out of the way of the vicious blades.

The attacker suddenly saw a flash and his body jerked, blood spilling from his newly formed gunshot wounds. The man stumbled back, the blades disappearing into his sleeve like snakes. He wore a black cloak and a hood that covered most of his face but he had ginger hair, going down to his neck. His red blood dripped over the coat and the man's hand went up to the bullet hole in his coat.

"Damn…" the man said as he shook his hand getting rid of the blood on his hand.

Bisca came from where she was taking cover and she was holding her dual Thompson submachine guns loaded with magical bullets. Alzack had already reloaded his six shooter and was aiming it at the man's head. Despite the multiple gunshots, the ceremony didn't seem to be disturbed and the chants were still very loud.

"Well…isn't this a bit strange." The man said calmly, his face completely hidden by his hood.

"Who are you and what is this place exactly. Judging by your coat, you must be a member of this cult. Right?" Alzack said, demanding answers from the man.

The man smiled and Alzack tightened his grip on his pistol. Bisca had already aimed both Thompsons at the man's chest that was dripping blood and both wondered how he had managed to take so many hits without dropping dead like most people.

"I am afraid these are not questions that I can answer. But I can guarantee that we are not people to be messed with." The cloaked man said as he raised his hands.

_Bang bang bang bang bang bang ratatatatatatatatatatatatat ratatatatatatata_

The dark hallway was lit up as hundreds of magical bullets slammed into the man and sent him sliding across the ground, jerking about like a ragdoll. Alzack and Bisca lowered their weapons when they noticed the stream of red blood that had started to flow from within the dark corridor. The two gun mages were about to turn when suddenly Alzack let out a scream of pain and Bisca turned, her face one of disbelief.

'Is this guy super human or something? How can he take so many hits!' Bisca thought desperately as she tried to reload her guns.

The metal blades hooked onto Alzack's arms and smashed him against the ground. From the dark corridor came the man who had just been sent sprawling onto the floor, hundreds of magical bullets shot through him. Blood pooled wherever he walked and hundreds of blades attached to chains coiled around him. Bisca took a step back, fear filling every vein in her body.

"What did I say? I told you not to mess with us…but you did." The blades lifted Alzack off the floor and the gun mage groaned in pain as he shakily stood, leaning on Bisca for support. "I will give you a head start. One…"

Bisca and Alzack took off running. Fear fueled their stamina as they ran down the dark corridors of the underground sewers. They didn't want to face this monster of a man anymore! The cloaked man turned around and aimed his hands down the corridor the two Fairy Tail mages had run down.

"Hydra Blades! Tear them apart!" he shouted evilly as the chains shot out of his sleeves and they zipped through the corridors.

There was a blood curdling scream and the chains zipped back into his cloak, dripping blood. The man slid his hands back into the sleeves and he turned to see someone standing behind him. The person was holding a torch, illuminating the darkness.

The torch cast an orange glow over the person's black cloak and the person holding it was a woman, in her late teens. Her dark purple eyes looked at the man with respect and her long blonde hair ended in curls.

"You killed them, Jack?" the woman asked with interest.

"No." Jack said with no emotion as he brought out his hands from his sleeves. "Just a glancing blow. But what of the ceremony? I trust that it was completed, Owen?"

The woman shuddered in the inside, knowing what a "glancing blow" was to the man she called Jack. But nevertheless she nodded.

"Yes, it was completed. Barely because you left early to defeat the snoopers. It would have been completed much earlier if you had stayed." The woman said.

Jack took off his hood to reveal cheerful greenish blue eyes and a slightly aged face. His ginger hair was not long, only going down to his shoulders (like Gildartz).

"You flatter me U.N." Jack said as the two black cloaked people disappeared down the steps into the chamber where the stone coffin lay.

**Fairy Tail**

"No."

The flat out rejection by the guild's rune master, Freed surprised Azura. Azura knew he was pretty uptight but not _this _uptight. It was just entering a tomb. It wasn't like robbing the place was it?

"Please Freed. We have to enter the tomb. It's the only way we can help Azami and decode the letter!" Asura pleaded as Raymond had a light snack with the members of Team Natsu who would be accompanying them.

The rune master sighed and shook his drink slowly, gazing into the brown liquid. He looked up again.

"You don't know whats down there. I remember the day when we buried her. It was hard for everyone. In my moment of weakness….." Freed's voice trailed on as he raised his drink to his face.

Asura sighed and looked down at the table. This was hopeless. Asura was about to stand up when suddenly Freed put his drink down on the table.

"Wait." He said as Asura started to leave.

Asura looked down at Freed as the old rune master stood. Freed looked Asura right in the eyes.

"Fine, I will help you. But promise me…promise me you wont get hurt. Please." Freed said, being unusually caring as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an old map. The map was handed to Asura and Freed also included a small silver key with it.

"The key to the tomb. It will only grant you access. All the other rooms, you have to figure out yourself." Freed explained when he saw Asura look confused at the key.

Asura nodded and he looked at Raymond who had finished his sandwich. The young mage jumped down from the table and everyone else in Team Natsu stood to follow Asura and Freed out the door.

**Fairy Tail's graveyard**

The group walked through the quiet graveyard, looking at all the gravestones. This was Fairy Tail's graveyard and some of the best mages in the world were buried here. Freed led them through several patches of graves and once they had to stop for a few minutes as Lucy wouldn't stop staring at a grave that was planted in the grave.

The inscription read: "Levy Redfox…lived a life of knowledge and her death gave wisdom to us all." They had to drag Lucy away and eventually, after weaving through several gravestones, they arrived at a large pyramid shaped tomb made of stone. Freed touched the door to the tomb and there was pulse of blue light and the rune master stepped back.

"The enchantments on the door are gone. I cant say about anything else in the tomb though. This is as far as I go. I wouldn't want to be killed by my own enchantments and traps would I?" Freed sighed as he nodded at Asura and walked back towards the guild. "Good luck and don't forget what you promised me."

Asura inserted the small silver key into the lock with trembling hands. This was the tomb of the great Zephyr… The door slide open and the group entered the tomb, taking note on how dark it was. Once the last mage had crossed into the tomb, the door slammed shut, trapping the group in darkness. But the second after, the torches that hung on the walls burst to life. The fire illuminated the chamber and everyone looked around in awe. The walls were sloped but they got wider as the stairs down led to a hallway that led to a door.

"Wait…did he say 'die'?" Lucy said, referencing what Freed had said before he left.

Everyone else laughed nervously as they didn't know what to expect. The various traps around the tomb had been installed in secret by Fredd but at least the map Asura was holding would let them know of any traps. Asura took a deep breath and Raymond slowly nodded his head.

"Lets crack this code."

**Jack's magic is a reference that only Edward the Pure would understand. It essentially works like a Chaser, the weapon Bartholomew used in the Circle of War series. However, there are several more blades and if one of the blades are broken, two more appear which is why they are called Hydra Blades. **

**Also, if you guys pieced together Owen's full name that would be awesome if you guys mentioned that in the review. The name is actually a reference to one of the best mystery books. Anyways, this arc is moving pretty fast and we will see some more villains once this arc is over. Thanks and don't forget to answer my questions! FF**


	6. Jack

**Uh…so I finished my project….just better for you guys I suppose. That means…that I have enough time to make ANOTHER chapter. I love double updates. A good way to really get out my ideas. Anyways, lets just get on with the chapter.**

"Whoa…" Gray said as he walked through the tomb with the rest of the group.

The architecture of the tomb was strange. It did seem like a tomb but it was incredibly large. It seemed more like a cathedral with tall walls and lots of torches lighting a hallway that led to small iron door. Asura and the others couldn't help but look around, taking in every aspect of the tomb. Stone walls, stone floor and that led to a short staircase towards the iron door.

"Lets move forward. We don't have much time." Gray said as the others nodded and Asura brought out his map.

Asura unfolded the map and he looked at the aged yellow paper. Several points on the map were circled in red and there was the word "trap" written above it. The others continued to look around the tomb as Asura led them down the stone stairs and down towards the small iron door.

"Hmm…seems like this room is clear…" Asura said as he walked forward towards the iron door, the torches lighting the way.

_Click_

Jets of flame erupted from the walls and Asura shouted in surprised and jumped back, the map dropping from his hands as he tumbled back. Everyone else grabbed Asura quickly and pulled him back and Asura shouted as he saw the map catch fire and turn to ash within seconds. Fortunately he wasn't burned too bad besides his pants that took some burn damage but was not too bad. Natsu quickly ate the flames that were shooting from the walls and the fire soon went down.

"Nice meal I had there…although it tasted a bit stale…" Natsu said as he wiped his mouth and helped Asura stand.

"Damn it! We lost the only way through the tomb!" Asura shouted, obviously frustrated. "Looks like we go in blind."

Raymond stared at the iron door with interest as did the others in the group as Asura dusted himself off. If such a dangerous trap lay so close to the entrance…what was behind the iron door? Everyone was too afraid to find out. Asura looked at the iron door, his heart still pounding.

"…Anyone want to open the door?" Asura asked, trying to be as cautious as possible. He couldn't fail Freed.

After a period of silence, Gray raised his hand and sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it. Flame brain over here is too afraid to do it so I guess I have to." Gray said as he walked forward and grabbed the handle to the iron door.

Everyone watched with anxiety as Gray slowly opened the door. Suddenly a crescent blade slammed through the iron door, stopping at Gray's forehead. Everyone jumped back, taken by surprise by the sudden blade smashing through the door. Gray stumbled back, touching his forehead and looking down at his palm. No blood but a slight cut…

"W-whoa…Freed wasn't joking around…if I had stood a l-little bit closer…" Gray said as he moved back slowly, shaking slightly.

Asura sighed and he looked behind the door, the torches already lit. Gray was already on his feet grabbing the iron door with Natsu. Together, they tore the door from its hinges and tossed it aside, the crescent blade falling back. Everyone was about to advance when Lucy was suddenly asked a question by Raymond.

"What magic do you use?" Raymond asked, looking up at the celestial mage sweetly.

"I use Zodiac Keys! I can summon all sorts of creatures from their own gates! Like Virgo, Taurus and Leo!" Lucy explained cheerfully as the 2 walked past the sharp crescent blade and into the long hallway that led to side corridor.

Raymond and the others spoke to each other so they could lighten the mood meanwhile they kept their eye open for anything that seemed suspicious. They continued on with no problems until they arrived at a narrow corridor and a hail of arrows shot down the corridor. Fortunately there were indents in the wall where you could hide. The group eventually overcame the obstacle by grabbing the shields that hung on the walls and using them for cover as they advanced down the hallway. The other traps included falling rocks, more blades, arrow traps and a fire trap that Natsu fully enjoyed. After battling their way through at least a dozen traps, they finally made their way to a wooden door that was lined in gold.

Asura touched the door and turned to everyone, bruised, cut and burned by still alive and ready.

"It has to be it. This is Malice's burial room." Asura said, pausing to think about what might happen if he opened the door.

Natsu and Gray stood impatiently and finally they burst out and shout.

"What are you waiting for! Lets break open the door so we can save Azami!" they both said at the same time.

Everyone laughed, a good rich laugh this time. Asura smiled as he slowly opened the door, knowing that a truly deadly trap was waiting for them. The door was thrown open and everyone waited for doom to befall them.

But it didn't.

Instead, the door revealed a medium sized chamber, the walls sloping once again in a pyramid shape. At the very back of the chamber, was a black rectangular box. Everyone stepped into the chamber carefully. There were several wooden cabinets and tables everywhere like someone had turned the tomb into a café.

"Careful everyone….I don't want anyone getting hurt." Asura said cautiously as everyone went through the chamber, careful not to set off any traps that might have been set.

But in the end there were none and everyone went around the tomb, picking the medicine that would be useful for reviving Azami. Meanwhile, Asura, Natsu and Gray were standing around the coffin. They were all grabbing the coffin lid while Lucy, Raymond and Erza ran around retrieving potions and medicine.

"Come on! Put your backs into it!" Natsu shouted as the 3 men tried to lift the coffin lid.

"Alright! Just try harder you dumb flame head!" Gray shouted as they lifted the coffin lid and moved it over to the side.

The 3 mages looked into the coffin, expecting bones and dust but instead, they jumped back when they saw that the body of Malice….was perfectly preserved.

"W…what in the world…" they said as they looked down into the coffin.

Asura looked at the body with disbelief and suddenly spotted a green book at the side of the coffin. He reached into it, trying not to think about the perfectly reserved body right next to his arm and pulled the book out of the coffin. It had a green cover with a forest on the front except the tree trunks were black. The word "Worm Wood" was clearly written on the top.

"Worm Wood…wow…" Gray said, for once not shooting glares at Natsu.

Everyone else came over to look at it and Asura smiled as he saw the potions and medicines in their hands.

"Alright, lets go save Azami."

**Later, at Fairy Tail**

"Alright now put the concoction in her mouth. Try not spill it all in."

Asura was overlooking Raymond as he tipped the drink into Azami's mouth. The milky white substance was a mixture of the potions and medicines that they had retrieved from Malice's tomb. The drink was dripped into Azami's mouth as she slept.

"_Will it work? I hope it does…" _Julius said as he watched the drink drip.

"…**.what I want is that you hurry and decode the note…I wont be mean about it this time." **Vincent said neutrally.

"_What is it that you want with the note? Really, what is it." _Julius demanded.

"**A simple note, nothing more. I just want it read it…"**

At first the drink did nothing…the two mages watching in agonizing silence. And then, it happened. Azami's eyes opened slowly. She looked around the room and soon realized where she was. She bolted straight up and looked around.

"I-is everything ok? I saw the spider and I…" her voice trailed.

Raymond shook his head. He was young but he knew how scared Azami had been.

"Its ok now…I think. I mean we went to the tomb of Malice and stuff!" Raymond said excitedly as he jumped around the room.

Azami stood and smiled and the three mages danced around the room until they heard a shout from outside of the guild. Asura peaked outside the door and saw that everyone was rushing towards the guild entrance.

"…Something is going on." Asura said, happiness leaving him, replaced with curiosity.

"Well then I guess we have to check it out." Azami said, her face turning grim.

…

"What happened Alzack! Tell me what happened!" Gildartz said, his face angry as Alzack was carried into the guild, clothes stained with blood.

Bisca soon came after, carried in. They were both in terrible shape and their wounds were being bandaged and Azami had to cover Raymond's eyes as they did so. The wounds were all cuts and slashes. Several puncture wounds as well. Whatever did this…it was vicious.

"…G-Gildartz….it was….J-Jack…" Alzack said weakly as blood trickled out of his mouth.

Gildartz just stood there, his face one of disbelief. Jack? He slowly stood.

"N-no…no way it was Jack. Hes dead remember? Hes dead Alzack! Hes been dead for over a hundred years!" Gildartz said, desperation cutting through his usually strong voice.

Alzack slowly shook his head, his eyes telling the truth. Everyone else in the guild just watched in dark silence as they watched Alzack be carried away along with Bisca. Asura and Azami stood amongst the crowd, Raymond's eyes covered.

"Hey! Let me see!" the little boy complained.

"_You don't want to see it." _Julius commented.

"**Hehehehe….Jack did this? Im surprised…." **Vincent said darkly as he chuckled.

The note was forgotten to Asura and Azami as they watched the two gun mages be carried away. Who did this and just who was this mysterious "Jack".

**?**

"Caused quite a commotion didn't you."

A glass of scotch was put down on the heavy wooden desk where two men sat. One man had a hood on, covering most of his face. The other, wore a military like with several black keys hanging from a golden cord that ran from his shoulder to the center of his chest.

"You could say that I introduced myself to some of my friends…" the hooded man said as he smiled slowly.

The other man nodded, his face a mask. He took a sip of scotch and he smiled. His neatly combed black hair and his dark green eyes watched the hooded man with interest. He stroked his small chin stubble as he spoke to the man again.

"A little unwise though, letting the enemy know who you are…" the man said to the other.

There was a slight chuckle from the hooded man.

"Ferdinand, you and I both know that my name is worthless. But in this case, it really shook them up I suppose. Makes things easier for us." the hooded man said as he stood, his black cloak sweeping across the floor.

Ferdinand stood as well. He knew Jack as an old friend and respected him as the second in command. However, there were others that controlled the controllers.

"Jack, about this "something" you have in mind….do you think Selena can handle it? Why not send U.N. or Gin?" Ferdinand asked as the man turned to look at Ferdinand.

"Well, it would be a little bit too obvious with U.N. or Gin running around. I think Selena will do fine…" Jack said as he left the room quietly.

Ferdinand watched the man go and he smiled. A genius as always. He sat down once again and he looked at several photographs of different people. Hitoshi Ryuusaga, Tadaaki Ryuusaga, Hyde Evadeus and of course, the three "heroes" Bael had told them about. Ferdinand stood from the desk again and left the room, leaving the photographs behind.

"Breakfast is waiting…hahahaha…"

**Took way too long to finish this. I began at 6 and ended at 7:46. Anyways, "Jack"…hehe. Thats fun. Anyways, thanks for reading and I will see you all later. FF**


	7. Breaking and entering

**This was a disappointing day. It really was. **

**So we start a new arc in with this chapter. I just love villains…so much. Lets go.**

_The wounds that Alzack and Bisca had taken were severe and everyone tried to forget about those terrible cuts and hoped that the two mages made it out ok but in the darkness, came light. Lidia was alive. But there was business to take care of and it had to be settled soon._

**Open air market, Magnolia**

"Well that is really bad news."

In the busy marketplace, there were several stalls everywhere. Magnolia's open air market was famous for taking up a large part of the central town square and the various things that were sold there. People from all over the country came to trade and buy goods that couldn't be found anywhere else. But amongst the massive amount walking in the market, the smells of food and the languages of different people being spoken, two people walked through the marketplace. One was a man and one was a woman.

They seemed to be browsing the goods that were laid out in all the stalls and the man was smoking and the smoke drifted into the air. The man was wearing a simple black cloak (ok, im going to stop saying they wore black cloaks. All bad guys in this story wear black cloaks besides Zeref and Hades) and he had blonde hair all the way down to his knees. He was wearing a fedora and his brown eyes surveyed the marketplace. The woman was wearing a grayish colored pea-coat and she was looking at the man with her purple eyes as they walked through the marketplace. She was blonde as well but her blonde hair ended at her back and was curly.

They seemed to be talking about something important.

"Bad news?" the man asked, responding to the woman's statement.

The woman nodded and the man just to the cigarette out of his mouth. Working with this woman was annoying but interesting at the same time.

"Oh come on Gin. You know that it is bad news. Im more than sure that the military knows who you are." The woman said, a look of worry coming to her face. Gin was way too carefree for his own good.

The man just put the cigarette back into his mouth and grunted.

"Owen, I suggest you mind your own business. It doesn't matter that the military knows who I am. We do the job and we do it right." Gin said impatiently as they came to a stop at a small store that was selling fireworks.

The girl looked at the store with interest, her eyes looking at the various fireworks inside. Then she turned to Gin when she saw the store's sign.

"B…but Gin, isn't this store closed right now? I heard they only sold fireworks during the fantasia parade!" Owen said as she watched Gin smile slowly.

"Who said we were going in legally?" the man said as he gave a small laugh.

**Fairy Tail, Gildartz's office**

"Sit down, please." Gildartz said as the guild master sat down behind his desk.

Asura and Azami sat down, Asura carrying the sacred tome. They were unsure why Gildartz had wanted to meet them. Gildartz looked at the two for a moment and his brought his hand to his forehead. Raymond had been sent outside as the information was too sensitive for young children.

"You both must be wondering why I brought you here…" the guild master said, looking over at the side wall where the portraits of the past guild masters hung. "Its because of the note you had with you when you came back…we need to decode it. I would have dismissed it as nothing but when Alzack and Bisca came back…well…you can see why I am worried."

Asura nodded and handed over the book. The book was placed on the desk and it was opened, Gildartz looking inside the book. Asura also gave him the note. The two mages could see the pages of the book although they were upside down although the pictures could be seen pretty well. And finally, Azami couldn't keep her questions under control.

"Who is this, 'Jack'." She asked, finally asking the question she had been dying to ask.

Asura looked at Azami, surprised at her question although it was one he had wanted to ask himself. Gildartz sighed and looked back over at the portraits. It was about time someone asked…

"Its complicated…really it is. Jack…well…he was a former Fairy Tail member. Back when the uprising happened, he was one of the civilians that ran through the streets as the uprising happened. He was caught and executed. That was a long time ago and we thought he was dead for a long time…until now." Gildartz said as he looked back down at the book and glancing at the note.

Azami nodded her head slowly, trying to process the information. Fairy Tail members hurting other Fairy Tail members…this was just unheard of. Asura was making a fist, his knuckles going white and that was when Gildartz sighed and closed Worm Wood. All eyes went to him and he sighed tiredly.

"Terrible news. So bad that I don't realize how bad this is right now…" Gildartz said as he passed the note to Azami and Asura.

"Bad news wh-" Azami said as she read the letter.

_Your guild was built on the mystery of whether or not Fairies had tails or not. But I can tell you for a fact that Snakes have fangs. Oh yes, they have fangs. And they are sharp and ready for the blood of royals, commoners and mages. – Snake Fang_

Snake Fang, the legendary guild that Julius Silence had headed, made up of volunteers from various different guilds. It was broken up after Julius' death and it was never reinstated again. Until now. Gildartz sighed and looked at Asura and Azami with obvious fear in his eyes.

"Please, both of you. I have a mission for you but I do not know if you would like to accept it. Natsu and the others may be accompanying you. All I can say right now is that you will be investigating a dark guild that the government thinks is affiliated with Snake Fang. Will…you take it." Gildartz said to them.

Asura and Azami looked at each other and they nodded. They looked Gildartz in the eyes.

"We will."

**In Fairy Tail**

"And then there was this huge crescent blade!" Raymond shouted as he made motions with his hands.

Mira and the other Fairy Tail mages were listening to oRaymond as he jumped around the guild laughing and telling stories about their adventures. Raymond was telling the story about Malice's tomb when suddenly a huge explosion sounded from outside, alarms blaring. At first everyone thought that it was the guild that was under attack and hurried to battle stations but soon they saw the black smoke billowing from the open air market and they rushed outside, Raymond left staring at the smoke, fear filling his eyes and the sounds of screams and shouts rising into the air.

…**.**

"Endgame has begun. Hmm…"

**Really short chapter I know. I didn't have enough inspiration to write anything long. Sorry. Thanks and good bye. FF**


	8. Rain of fire

**I assume everyone has seen the Fairy Tail movie trailer? I mean, its been out for a while. I don't have much of a thought on that right now but what I DO have a thought on is the Hunger Games movie scheduled to come out March 23.**

**Personally, I don't like its futuristic look. I honestly didn't expect the characters to look half the way they do and those peacekeeper outfits…gg.**

**I can expect the movie to be at least half decent because it seems like they have put a good amount of work into it. It would be awesome if they made good movies of the whole series and perhaps redeem Mockingjay (terrible in my opinion). **

**But anyways, we see the return of a character we haven't seen in a while perhaps even another. Enjoy and let me know what you think of the Hunger Games movie in your review.**

_The explosion in Magnolia caused a large disturbance in the world. Magnolia was a famous town, being the ancient home of the infamous Duckensford and the current home of Fairy Tail. With around one million inhabitants, Magnolia is the 3__rd__ largest city in Fiore and the 7__th__ largest city in the Garlan Empire. _

_Magnolia is an important trading center and the destruction of the open air market as not about to be overlooked. _

**Wizard Council**

"Gentlemen, Magnolia has been bombed." Hyde said seriously as all of the council members bowed as he entered the room holding a folder in his hand.

The queen's consort slid the folder across the glossy black marble table towards the new chairman, Justinian Steiner. He was a young man, snow white hair, eyes like coal and a serious face at all times. He was not a native of Fiore, having been the Grand Master of the Order of the Arcane King in Q'Rex. He looked over the file quickly and laughed and pushed it away.

"Walther Heinz? Iv never even heard of him. Hes no threat." Justinian said coldly as he looked at Hyde with disinterest.

The brown haired consort just looked grim. It had taken a lot of time to dig up that file and it was dismissed as unimportant? For the first time in a while, Hyde exploded. The stress had been building for days, Lida's assassination attempt, the criminal group tearing Fiore apart, a rising kingdom in the west and finally, the Magnolia explosion.

Hyde slammed his fist down on the table and he drew his sword. He aimed it straight at Justinian's neck and several of the Black Army soldiers who guarded the wizard council members turned their guns on the council, serving the consort before the council. Justinian looked at the sword point with a cold gaze.

"You have not been selected to head the wizard council because we like you Justinian." Hyde said coldly as the soldiers aimed their guns at the council. "We elected you because we heard you were a good leader and a powerful mage. As viceroy*, I have the power to remove you from power. You will do as I say and you WILL NOT complain. Do you understand?"

Justinian moved Hyde's sword point out of the way and he sighed. The other council members were scared out of their minds.

"Very well, we will do as you ask, viceroy." The chairman said, obviously angry with Hyde.

Hyde nodded and he marched out of the wizard council meeting room, feeling better already.

**Magnolia**

The fires raged and the smoke filled the streets as people screamed and ran for cover. Debris was scattered everywhere, broken pieces of wood, bricks as big as a fist and pieces of stone littered the ground and the dense grey smoke made it impossible to see. And Raymond was wandering around in the smoke, looking to see if he could help in any way. But it was obvious he couldn't as people screamed and pushed past him. Sirens were blaring and he could hear soldiers running through the smoke trying to save people.

"**I warned you…this is the world. Let me take your body and you will not have to live this life of evil and destruction…" **Vincent snarled, making Raymond cringe.

"_Silence! Raymond will do as he wants. Do not try to influence him, devil spawn!" _Julius raged as he fought against Vincent in Raymond's mind.

"**The boy's body is mine! Once I overtake you and the boy I will live as the god of evil! The first and only god!" **Vincent laughed maniacally as the two spirits attempted to destroy each other.

"_You are as greedy as Serex and you shall be punished for your crime!"_ Julius raged.

Suddenly Raymond was pushed to the ground by something black and it ran past him.

"Watch it kid!" the figure shouted as it ran through the smoke.

Raymond was about to get up, his bones hurting from the fall when someone extended a hand. It was a figure wearing black gloves, a wrist guard made of steel and wearing a chest plate of polish steel. His face was king and his light brown hair had soot in it. He was wearing a peaked hat with the Garlan emblem on it and he helped Ray to his feet. The child just looked up at the man with admiration. Who was this man?

"You alright kid?" the man asked as Raymond just slowly nodded.

The sounds of footsteps came closer to them and several voices began shouting.

"General! The fires and the smoke is starting to clear! All citizens have been evacuated!" the soldiers shouted as they ran past, red uniforms stained black by the flames.

The man nodded and he pulled Raymond along, smiling to himself as they went. They ran until they burst through the dense smoke to a place where all the citizens in the town had been gathered. The soldiers kept all the people back and the general that had found Raymond stood in front of the soldiers.

"Citizens! Please don't panic! We are trying to get all of this under control! Fairy Tail mages will be assisting the situation soon!" the general shouted as the people tried to get through the soldiers.

As if right on cue, several of the legendary Fairy Tail mages emerged from the now thinning smoke, dirty and grim looking as several came out, carrying people in their arms. Natsu came out with a swelling belly.

"Raymond! There you are!"

Ray turned around to see Azami and Asura running towards him, worried looks on their faces and they rushed towards him.

"Thanks so much for taking care of him for us." Asura said, smiling.

"No problem! He was an awesome kid. General Tadaaki at your service." The general said as he grinned and Azami suddenly whipped around and turned run.

"T-Tadaaki Ryuusaga?" she almost squealed.

The general looked at her which caused her to blush even more. Raymond looked between the two with confusion. Were they lovers?

"Why yes. Do I know you?" Tadaaki asked the madly blushing female mage.

"N…no its just that meeting the great T…Tadaaki himself…" Azami said shyly as she looked down at the ground and glanced up a few times.

Suddenly Gildartz coming through the smoke made Asura and the others look up. He walked over to Tadaaki and gave him a bone crushing hug, the general stumbling back grabbing his ribs.

"Gildartz! You really need to stop giving me those kinds of hugs!" he said as he smiled at the guild master.

Gildartz just let out a hardy laugh as the other Fairy Tail members cleared away the rest of the smoke and the citizens were let back into the city.

"Tadaaki, you know you will always have a home at Fairy Tail!" the orange haired mage said. He looked over at Asura and Azami. "Oh, im really sorry you three. With the explosion in the city…well…I cant spare any mages. Im afraid that you will have to go on your own…"

Asura, Azami and Raymond just sighed and hoped for the best. Gildartz handed them the information to where they were supposed to go and they said goodbye to Tadaaki. Then they were off, to investigate a dark guild.

**Lidia's quarters**

Lidia sat in the bed that her father used to sleep in and she stared up at the plain white ceiling. Her father had never been into decorations much. Her entire chest had been bandaged and her recovery was going to be slow and painful. However there was light in the darkness as Hyde came by every spare hour he had. Because Lidia was unable to perform her duties as queen, Hyde acted as a Viceroy, ruling in her place as a "King".

"….Well…this is boring…" Lidia sighed as she continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"I know."

The voice made Lidia let out a squeak and she looked to her right to see a man standing beside her bed. Or more like a ghost. It was a shimmery blue and it was familiar… Lidia realized who it was. Archibald, the first queen's consort. He was wearing what he had always worn in portraits. Ceremonial armor trimmed in gold and red with several golden cords. He wore his small rounded glasses and he was quite tall.

"I know how painful it is. Recovery I mean." The ghost said, Lidia still sort of scared by it.

"R…recovery? You went through it too?" Lidia asked slowly.

The ghost of Archibald sighed and it seemed to be in distress, twisting and turning as if in pain.

"Yes…as you probably know, I married Sara. I was her consort and yes there was a huge gap between our ages but there was true love in that relationship!" Archibald said, his voice bitter.

Lidia nodded slowly. She had heard this story when she had history class in the palace. Archibald was 6 years older than the queen but they still married. The marriage was in question for the rest of their lives even after Sara died of a broken heart. It seemed people would never get rid of their superstitions.

"You lived a long time afterwards didn't you? I heard a rumor that you watched the birth of my grandfather!" Lidia said, wincing when pain stabbed her as she spoke.

Archibald nodded, his face twisted in bitter anger and sadness.

"Yes, as a master of the arcane arts, my lifespan was lengthened considerably. But after Sara died, I never felt whole again. She died from the heartbreak of our son's death and I was left alone. But you, you survived an assassination attempt by the love of your consort. Cherish that love as it may not last forever. Recovery is the most painful part of living. Stay young." The ghost said as it slowly evaporated.

Lidia just sighed and closed her eyes. Recovery….was truly hard. Archibald's words rang in her head along with the words with other spirits that had visited her.

**?**

The torches had been lit, the yellow light filling the room, illuminating the group of people standing around a stone coffin. The group of people all wore black cloaks besides the leader, Ferdinand. There were five people there, all wearing black cloaks and standing around a stone coffin. Ferdinand looked around the circle and he nodded.

"It seems that our last ceremony went…haywire. The loss of our friend Jack disturbed it and it had…unusual consequences. But we wont fail this time. It will take time to build up the magical energy needed but we should be able to do it." Ferdinand said as he looked over to a young girl standing next to a teenage boy wearing a cloak and covered in chains.

"But can we do it in time? Our last ceremony took at least a week and the government and other outside forces are closing in…" the young girl said, her eyes filled with worry.

Jack smiled and he took off his hood, his face being shown in a rare display.

"Don't worry. With me here, we can do it in half that time. Sure, Gin has not arrived yet but we can pull through." The second in command said, smiling.

The young girl nodded and Ferdinand nodded his head. Everyone raised their hands towards the stone coffin.

"Lets begin…"

**Near the guild building of King of Blades**

The group of three mages traveled the road through the small forest with slight fear in their minds. They didn't know what to expect from this dark guild but they would try their hardest. But they couldn't help but feel like they were being watched. Several times Azami and Asura had to look behind them to check if they were being followed. But nothing was there and Raymond had also shrugged it off as nothing. However, something was lurking close by…

"**Hmm…travelers?" **Nebula asked Walther as they stood in the high branches of a tree, observing the group.

Walther narrowed his eyes and smiled a bit. Travelers down this road were rare and King of Blades wasn't known for attacking travelers.

"If only Axel and the others were here. Too bad Axel died. I cant say about the others. Oh well, I say we strike them out when they get tired of walking. I mean, they are already in a never ending circle…" Walther said calmly as Nebula sat on top of his head, looking at the group curiously through his eye.

"**Very well. Would it be best to get the guild involved?" **the black bob asked.

"Why not? Might be fun." Walther replied and they disappeared without a sound.

**Excavation zone 192**

"I found something! Some sort of coffin!" a worker shouted as he shouted from the small cave they were working in.

Several other workers ran in, excited to see what they had found. They worked hard to dig out the gilded coffin and they looked at the huge boss in the center of the coffin lid. The archeologists started at it, amazed.

"Amazing…we found the tomb of Serex Yosser!" they shouted excitedly as they broke out crowbars and tried to pry off the lid.

It took several tries but the lid slowly started to move and the workers were smiling, happy to have found something interesting. The lid slammed onto the ground and it revealed a smiling face.

"Oh why hello there."

**Epic cliffhanger there. I really liked this chapter. Like I said, an old character made a cameo in this chapter and I hope you guys liked it! **

**References for this chapter: *Hyde is technically a Viceroy because he can rule in place of Lidia if Lidia cant perform her duties.**

**Also, Garlan people are suspicious of a marriage between a man who is much older than the woman.**

**Don't forget to review and thanks for reading! FF**


	9. Symbiotic

**Getting used to the new laptop. Its a bit weird because the keys are really smooth and it makes typing sort of difficult because I feel like Im pretty gliding over the keys. I should probably slow down. **

**Also, tell which villain you liked best in all of my stories. I just wanted to know. And I am just tired right now. Im not watching the Super Bowl because I dont like Football. **

***sigh* school tomorrow...just wish me luck guys...**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

_Despite being a dark guild, King of Blades was not one that was notorious for causing trouble. They were the dark guild version of Hunter Pride, mercenaries. They served as foot soldiers for various warlords in Asarabia and other warlords. Their leader was a former member of the notorious Toy Box and he was infamous for the kidnapping of 8 lords. Rumors said that he was a cannibal. _

**...**

The group of three was walking through the forest, alert and ready for anything they might find. The forest was their greatest enemy and everything bad seemed to happen in a forest. Asura looked up at the trees, scanning the branches for anything that might be following them. Azami was looking from side to side, checking for anything suspicious moving through the woods. Raymond just walked ahead, looking up at the two other mages from time to time. The forest was full of life but it was also cary, the darkness of the forest hiding evil that lurked within.

"Who goes there."

The group froze and Azami let out a scream as the wood on one of the trees started to melt away, revealing someone dressed in a skintight black jumpsuit with three sticks on his back and his eyes were covered by a metal band that went all the way around his head. The man reached behind and grabbed one of the sticks and it quickly transformed into a blade made of sharp steel. The man swung it expertly, the air hissing as the blade struck the ground in front of him.

"I repeat again...who goes there..." the man said again, this time his voice rising a bit.

Azami just glared at the man, angered by the man's rudeness.

"Azami Shion, Fairy Tail." she said confidently, not intimidated by the man.

Suddenly Asura cursed and he pointed behind Azami and another man had come out of a tree, looking exactly like the man who was standing in front of them. And suddenly they were surrounded by hundreds of copies of the same man who had challenged them. Asura, Azami and Raymond formed into a triangle, not wanting to be caught off guard.

"Kukukukukuku...it was a mistake coming here. King of Blades...strike!" the men shouted at once as every single on jumped forward, swords ready.

**Middle of the forest**

"...did you lead those people here..."

Gin smiled and he lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. It had been difficult to convince Walther to join them. And now the dark guild master was glaring at him, feeling betrayed. But Gin wasnt worried. He had seen Walther fight.

"Did you honestly think getting involved with us wouldnt have side effects? You're a wanted man Walther. Once you decided to join with us, you made yourself a target. Better clean this mess up yourself or I just might have to step in." Gin said, grinning at the man, smoke trailing from the lit cigarette.

Walther narrowed his eyes. Walther and Nebula didnt trust Gin but they were still in a bit of a mess so there was no choice.

"I only decided to join you because we thought we would have something to gain but I guess we can only lose in a situation like this." Walther said bitterly as the guild master faded from view.

**...**

"Fires of the forge!" Asura shouted as flames burst around him, knocking back two of the swordsmen to the ground.

Azami herself had already engaged herself, using her Spirit Make to form a revolver and fired bullets at the enemy, the bullets shooting straight through the swordsmen, sending them flopping to the ground. Raymond was busy dodging attacks, kicking and punching. He wasnt much of a mage having just started his training but he was skilled in close combat, having been trained at an early age. The swordsmen were quick and their blades were razor sharp, several times cutting Asura and Azami. But they were not very resistant to magic and they were defeated easily, heaps of swordsmen appearing on the ground.

And finally, they defeated them all. Every single swordsman that had attacked them was laying on the ground. There must have been at least 6 piles of men and Asura and Azami were tired. Raymond was sitting on the ground, panting and the group was about to continue on the into the forest when a strong breeze stopped them.

"Looks like you did the easy part first..."

The ground split in half and several black rubbery arms reached through and pulled up a man wearing a sky blue coat with short blonde hair. His piercing blue eyes seemed to see straight through you. A black blob with a single eye sat on top of his head, silently watching the three Fairy Tail mages. The man soon landed on the ground, just looking at the mages.

"What exactly do you want. Did the government send you? If they did then go away." Walther said bluntly as the three mages looked at the man in the coat.

"We were sent...but not by the government. We are mages from Fairy Tail and we are to investigate you and your guild for suspicious activity." Asura said, looking at the mage, feeling a sense of hostility once the name "Fairy Tail" had come up.

The man cocked his head to the side and smiled slowly.

"Fairy Tail? We still have a bone to pick with you..." Walther said quietly.

Azami suddenly felt stricken with fear. Something about this man wasnt right! Raymond was looking at the man with interest. Asura's body started to heat up again. Walther nodded his head.

"Go on, strike first and see why I am known as the 'Lord of Clams'." Walther said, obviously challenging Asura.

Asura let out a shout as he ran forward, fist burning with flames and his entire body had undergone transformation. His skin was a bronze color and his hair was a mess of flames, blazing and giving off sparks as he ran and smashed his fist towards Walther.

**"Trivial." **

Asura let out a cry of pain as he was sent slamming back into the ground, an arm of black material smashing into him. Azami and Raymond just looked at the man, fear growing. Walther had several black rubbery arms surrounding him, each with a different weapon. Azami broke out of her trance and grit her teeth as she summoned her revolver once again and shot rapidly at the man.

"Those things cant protect you if its a ranged attack!" she shouted a the bullets blasted towards Walther.

The bullets seemed to get through to Walther but then suddenly the bullets flew back, landing on the ground in front of Azami. Azami and Raymond looked amazed as they saw that Walther had been encased in the black rubbery substance! The barrier retreated and Walther was grinning.

"Do you know why they call me the 'Lord of Clams'? Its because I have a barrier that reacts to any threat!" Walther shouted as the arms shot forward, various huge weapons hanging off each of them.

Asura was up by then and he managed to dodge one of the huge black spike balls and Azami slid out of the way. Raymond found himself trapped by two of them and he couldnt dodge.

'Im going to die!' Raymond thought desperately as the spikes closed in towards him.

_"Oh no, not yet!" _

The spikes suddenly reared up and smashed back into the ground around Raymond. The boy just looked in awe as the spikes retreated back towards the black blob sitting on Walther's head. Azami and Asura slowly stood and they were thinking as fast as they could.

'This guy has a barrier! How the hell are we supposed to beat him?' Asura thought as he went through everything he had.

Asura finally selected a move he could make work and Azami seemed to be getting ready to make her own attack happen.

"Outrage!" Asura shouted as hundreds of flames surrounded Walther.

"Spirit Make! Colossus!" Azami shouted as a huge being made of mist appeared above Walther.

Raymond just silently rooted for Azami and Asura as their attacks hit Walther and sent a huge shockwave through the forest, splitting several trees. The colossus slammed its fists into Walther's body and the flames exploded, sending flames burning through Walther's body. The smoke and dust blasted everywhere and everyone on the battlefield was blinded for a few minutes. But the three mages stepped back in shock once the smoke cleared.

"That was a close one Nebula..."

Walther was coughing and there were several burn marks on his coat but otherwise, he was unharmed. The man grinned and the arms grew out of Nebula once more.

"Lets finish them." Walther said coldly as the arms shot forward at blinding speed and slammed into each of the mages.

Raymond hit the ground hard, the wind being knocked out of him. His heart pounded as he looked up at the tree leaves and he lost some of his hearing. The arms came again and this time it sent Raymond smashing through a tree and into a rock. The voices howled in Raymond's head.

He saw Asura and Azami taking a beating from the arms and the voice spoke to him.

**"You are weak. I am strong...I will lend you my power! Together, we will defeat the enemy with the help of your pathetic friends!" **

Raymond climbed slowly to his feet. Asura and Azami were still fighting, taking hit after hit and trying to send attacks at the dark guild master.

"I am the weakest of the weak...I accept your offer!" Raymond shouted, anger going through him.

**"Good. Here is the true power of a saint!"**

Raymond let out a chuckle of evil as his left eye turned a red color.

**"I am no longer weak. Together with my friends...we will WIN!"**

**There you go. I liked this chapter and dont forget to tell which villain was your favorite. Also, an extra question. Which of the Tartaros mages is your favorite? Of the ones I have shown you so far. Thanks for reading! FF**


	10. Jack meets his match

**So, based on my question to you last chapter, everyone chose Jack as their favorite Tartaros mage. I felt like I over did it when I showed him in action but apparently none of you think so. **

**Anyways, this chapter we finish up the battle and we show some fun stuff. This is pretty much a similar style in Malice Story. I usually dedicate an entire single chapter to villains. So we meet some very, controversial figures in the magical world today. I like them although I didn't really the arcs they were involved in. **

**Anyways, lets just get on with the chapter.**

"Hahahahaha!" Raymond laughed as he stood from the rock he had been smashed against.

Asura and Azami were weakly standing and Walther was looking at the them, his face a mask. He didn't even look at Raymond as he joined his two comrades. The young boy looked at the man in the coat, his left eye turned a red color. Walther finally noticed the boy and looked at him with slight interest.

"I could have sworn you had blue eyes just a second ago…" he said, his voice taking on some emotion of surprise.

"**Look out Walther!"**

The fist smashed into Walther, sending him sliding across the ground, Nebula being too slow to defend his host. Walther looked up, his face showing surprise as Raymond appeared in front of him, grinning.

"How! You're just a kid! You cant be that fast!" Walther shouted in anger as Nebula sent his arms flying towards him, the weapons flailing in the air.

The arms struck the ground and Raymond slid back, his hands gripping one of the weapons. The grin had twisted even more and the eyes seemed to see straight through Walther.

"**You fool! I am no longer a child! I am Vincent Faro, the Blood Saint!" **Raymond roared in a demonic voice as he tore the rubbery arm in half and ran through, effortlessly dodging Nebula's attacks.

Raymond hit Walther in the face again, sending the dark guild master sliding across the ground, howling in pain. Nebula roared in anger as hundreds of fists shot forward, slamming into the ground where Raymond was. The young child was blown back, stumbling back onto the ground. Raymond slid back to where Azami and Asura were standing and he looked at his team mates.

"Use your strongest attacks again! We can beat him!" Raymond shouted, his voice normal once again.

The two mages nodded and they attacked once more, using the moves that had once proved futile. The flames shot towards Walther, the huge creature made of mist, smashing its fists once more. Raymond dashed forward once again, leaving a trail of dust as he ran towards here Walther was being bombarded with attacks.

The young boy shot through the flames and latched onto Walther's shield. The young boy bit into it and tore it, and chewed. The rubbery substance dissolved easily as he chewed and soon, Raymond had made a hole big enough for him to jump through. Walther just looked at the boy in disbelief as Raymond looked up at the man, grinning.

"W…who the hell are you!" Walther shouted as Nebula threw a punch hoping to hit Raymond.

Raymond effortlessly caught it and bit into it, chewing it.

"**Me? I am the god who will rule you all! The god of Evil!" **Raymond laughed as his small shadow grew larger and larger until it was much taller than Walther.

The shadow laughed and its hands grew huge, sharp claws growing from them and slashing across Walther's chest, sending the man crashing to the ground, letting out a cry of pain and then dropping to the ground. The body lay still and Nebula's arms retreated back into its solid black form, the parasite dying with its host. Azami and Asura came running over, looking at the body in disbelief. Did…Raymond really just kill the dark guild master?

Raymond's left eye went back to normal and the young boy stumbled and fell backwards, falling asleep almost instantly. The voices reverberated in his head as he drifted into sleep.

"_You will regret ever letting him enter your physical being…"_

"**The life mother can not keep me bound forever…find the blood diamond key and set us all free!"**

Asura and Azami looked down at the sleeping child and smiled. He had thought he was weak but he had proved he was strong. Asura picked Raymond up and draped the young child over his shoulder. It was time to go home.

…

"Sad. He fought well but I was not expecting this sort of thing. I guess it is time for Tartaros to step in."

**The city of Gasbos**

The city was in flames, the smoke being able to be seen for miles. The citizens screamed as they ran from the group of people advancing forward, leisurely destroying anything or anyone who got in the way. At the head of the group was a hooded man who had several chains snaking out of his sleeves, blades dangling at the ends. There were a few more people with him including a young girl, a teenage boy completely wrapped in chains and a young woman.

The man smiled as they arrived at the city square, the flames burning down several buildings. The smell of ashes filled the air and the smoke was thick, almost all the buildings having been burned down. The hooded man turned to the young girl who was standing next to him.

"Do it. Let no one escape!" the man said happily as the girl nodded and help out her hands.

"Alright Jack. Rune Magic: no one leaves the city without my permission!" the young girl shouted as the purple runes flowed into the ground and they formed a huge square around the small city.

Jack nodded in satisfaction as he saw several of the citizens back away from the city exits, blocked by purple runes. He looked in front of him to see several soldiers and people who guarded the town. Many of the citizens had their fists surrounded by different colored light and Jack snickered.

The men of the city of Gasbos had a strange characteristic. Any male born in Gasbos was born with magical capabilities. However, their magic was almost always incredibly weak and it was only good for civilian use. The soldiers aimed their rifles at Jack and the others and Jack turned to the teenager wrapped in chains.

"Darren, I think you know what to do." Jack said calmly as the rifles flashed.

The people cheered as a bullet hit Jack and knocked him to the ground but their enthusiasm was quickly put down as all the other bullets suddenly turned around and hit the soldiers who had just shot them. Jack took his hood off and grinned insanely.

"Very good Darren! Letting a bullet through to show my invincibility! Brilliant!" Jack laughed crazily. "Lets finish these poor excuses for mages then!"

That set the men off, all of them running towards Jack, fists at the ready. There were even boys in the group, screaming in rage. Jack grinned as several hundreds of chains came out of his sleeves and shot forward, the blades glinting viciously in the fire.

"Out of the way you pathetic maggots!" Jack shouted happily as the blades struck people down left and right, clearing through the men in a matter of seconds.

The other mages were watching emotionlessly when suddenly Jack was struck by a bright yellow light and a huge hole blasted in the ground where he had been standing. The other mages immediately took several steps back, ready to respond to the attacker. Instead, the next attacks came from the side, sending several of the Tartaros mages slamming to the ground. Jack stood from the crater he had been blown into, grabbing his head.

"Why don't you pick on people your own size."

Jack froze. Was it him? Impossible! Jack looked desperately through the smoke and his body froze in his rarest emotion, fear. Through the smoke came the man he dreaded the most, the red tattoo on the right side of his face, the cloak he wore and that cold look he had in his eyes! Jack quickly smiled, trying to disguise his fear.

"Oh, Jellal! How nice it is to see you again! Im surprised to see that you haven't been captured yet!" Jack said, trying to be neutral.

In an instant, Jellal had smashed Jack back into the dirt again, the outlaw moving with blinding speed. Jack fell back into the dirt, shouting in pain. Ultear and Meredy also came out from the smoke, looking down at the Tartaros mages with contempt.

"You kill for sport? You prey on innocent civilians? That is exactly what Crime Sorciere tries to stop! Scum like you!" Ultear shouted angrily as she looked down at the unmoving body of the young girl.

Jack laughed nervously. Damn it all! Just when things had gotten good, the one man he feared showed up! Damn the goddess of fortune!

"Ultear, I see you are with Jellal…we were…just doing training." Jack said casually.

Jellal looked at the ginger haired man, anger burning in his eyes like the blazes that were expanding around them.

"If you want to train, how about you fight…ME!" Jellal shouted with rage as he sent a blast of yellow energy through Jack, making the man collapse to the ground.

But Jack was not about to be humiliated here. The chains struck again and again at Jellal, making several hundreds of cuts as they flailed as Jack slowly stood, his face also angry.

"Fine! I have always been a second class mage to you so I will humble your disgusting pride!" Jack shouted angrily as his blades sent Jellal ducking out of the way, the vicious blades slicing through his cloak.

Meredy and Ultear just watched this battle as each man refused to be outdone. The other Tartaros mages were lying on the ground, unmoving. They were frozen in time, Ultear using her magic to keep the villainous mages from trying to disrupt the battle.

Jack was smashed into the ground by Jellal, the fist of the former council member blazing with bright light. Jack smiled as he shouted as loud as he could.

"Level the city Darren! Do it now!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs as he dodged the punch and sent Jellal sliding back.

"With pleasure!" the teenage boy said, suddenly snapping from Ultear's magic.

The Crime Sorciere mages took steps back as the entire city square started to develop cracks. The rock started to fall apart and they had to distance themselves in order not to be sucked into nothingness. Jack and the other Tartaros mages fled in the confusion, Jack's pride being wounded. He glared back to where Jellal and his guild mates were helping citizens escape.

"I swear Jellal, I will be the victor!" the evil mage said viciously, gritting his teeth.

**Asura and Azami **

The three mages were about to head home. It had been a long battle with Walther having taken most of their magical power. They were turning around when suddenly a lit cigarette dropped onto the dirt path and out came a man dressed in a black cloak and a fedora. His long blonde hair reached to his knees and he was smiling, his eyes cold.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

**Bam. There we go. This was a rare case in which I actually exploited the villain's weakness and introduced a hero character that is of equal power of the villain. We haven't seen much of Ferdinand, Bael or Snake Fang but that is for a reason. I also decided to introduce some more Tartaros mages.**

**Just to clarify, Jellal and Jack are of equal power. This is one of those rare times in which I directly tell you that certain characters are equal powered or anything of that sort. They are rivals and I felt like Jack would need a rival. I also wanted to introduce Jellal and Crime Sorciere at least one time. I know Ultear and Meredy didn't do much but they may appear again in the story. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all next time. FF**


	11. Identity revealed

**I realized that I had broken the schedule when I posted The Sun Thief a day early. I thought it was Thursday...fail. **

**Anyways, here we are with another chapter for Of Body and Mind. Expect a chapter of We Stand Alone later this week as well. And I decided that Crime Sorciere will have be involved in this story. Brilliant. Now lets go.**

_The town of Gasbos was almost completely destroyed and many of the men in the city were dead as well. By then, many people should have realized that it was a dark guild that destroyed the city but instead, people started to blame Lidia and the government. _

_This was all too familiar with what happened with Toy Box a very long time ago. There was even a theory developed on it. It was known as "The Toy Box Theory". The theory said that if one group causes enough destruction, then the people who have suffered will shift the blame to the government for failing to stop it even if the government is working as hard as it could. _

_Clearly this was true. Tartaros must be stopped._

**Adrianople, the fortress**

Lidia was almost in tears. This had to be one of the most depressing moments in her life. The shouts of anger that carried over the wind made her head hurt with disappointment. Had she failed? Had she failed her duties as queen? Tate sat next to her, her fists clenched and her face grim. After all, she was a queen as well. Hyde was standing behind Lidia, his eyes closed.

Outside the fortress, was a large group of civilians, demanding the surviving members of the Flarina family be returned to their throne. They said that the Flarina family would never have allowed the city of Gasbos to be destroyed.

"Down with the Garlan invaders!"

"Long live Flarina!"

"We need a real ruler!"

"Death to the Evadeus dynasty!"

These were only a few of the outraged cries that came from the huge crowds of people gathered at the gate of the fortress. The group of three were sitting in a chamber that overlooked the city, seated a plain wooden desks facing a solid wooden door with the windows open. Suddenly, the door opened and in walked the most unlikely of people to step foot in a palace.

Hyde opened his eyes and raised his eyebrow as the group of three bowed and the man at the head smiled. Hyde would have smiled too if the situation wasn't as bad as it was now.

"Well, Jellal, its a pleasure to see you for the first time." Hyde said as the outlaw mage nodded his head.

"I'm sorry but I couldnt afford to show myself until now. I also apologize for failing to capture at least one of the mages. We were close but they managed to escape." Jellal said, looking at Lidia who nodded slowly.

Tate looked at her fellow monarch and looked at Jellal and the other members of Crime Sorciere. They were an odd bunch they had proven themselves trustworthy and Tate didn't give her trust easily.

"But do you know who they were? Perhaps what guild they were in?" Tate asked, her brain working furiously for any small clue for anything that could identify the mages.

Jellal looked at Ultear and the former Grimoire Heart member stepped forward. She held a small lacrima in her hand and she placed it on the wooden desk. Upon contact with the wood, the lacrima glowed and projected an image. It was of Jack, the chains snaking out of his cloak sleeves. But undeniably, there was a tattoo on his wrist. Ultear looked up at the two queens.

"This man, is "Jack". We dont know if that is his real name. However, from this image, we get this tattoo." Ultear said coolly as she pointed to the small tattoo visible in the image.

Everyone nodded their head. Tattoo, useful for identifying guilds. They were the telltale mark of any guild, legal or illegal.

"Well, what guild uses that tattoo?" Lidia asked, anxious to get any sort of clue.

Jellal answered this question, his voice dark as he told the Garlan queen the name.

"This guild calls themselves "Tartaros" and they are the strongest dark guild in Fiore." Jellal said, getting stares from the royals before them.

Tartaros. This was a wakeup call for Hyde and the two monarchs. Lidia just looked at Jellal in disbelief.

"Tartaros? But...I heard that they were disbanded after their final defeat at Fairy Hills!" she said, refusing to believe this madness.

Jellal shook his head regretfully. He knew the history of Tartaros and he blamed himself for not finishing them off when they were weak.

"Tartaros was the weakest but also the smartest of the Balam Alliance. Unlike the other two guilds that held leadership with them, Tartaros lay low, avoiding the watchful eye of the Wizard Council. The only official time in which they rose to fight was when they joined with Worm Wood. Their leader, Abutuum, suddenly disappeared and Tartaros fled. But they didnt die out like the others of the Balam Alliance and the Dark Trinity." Jellal said, the air hanging heavy between the two groups.

Hyde grit his teeth and he looked out the window over the fortress.

"Tch, they fooled us. And now, they hold the power. Smart move Tartaros...I wont deny that. Who is their leader? Do we know?" Hyde asked, the consort wondering if there was any way to defeat the dark guild.

Meredy shook her head sadly. That was the only piece of information that was missing.

"We only know that Jack seems to hold the power. For all we know, he could be the leader." Meredy said sadly.

Lidia nodded and smiled. There could be something to take care of the situation...

"Well then I have good news Crime Sorciere. There are a few mages at Fairy Tail that fought with Jack. Perhaps you can get some information from them. I would also be best if you allied yourself with a team at Fairy Tail in order to work as a team. Therefore, I am freeing you from your status as an outlaw." Lidia said, gaining smiles from the members of Crime Sorciere.

Jellal bowed low, feeling the weight of his sins lighten just a bit.

"We will not fail you."

**Raymond**

The two mages who were conscious looked at the man, getting ready for battle although they were tired and possibly outmatched. The man in the fedora just grinned coldly and looked at the two mages with pity.

"I apologize for tiring you out like that. It really isnt fair but life isnt either." the man said darkly.

Asura and Azami could only stare at the man with fear and they knew how bad of a situation they were in. The man started to laugh slowly.

"You really caused problems for us. We thought you would die easily against Walther but I wasn't expecting," The man pointed at the child on Asura's shoulder, out cold. "That."

Asura suddenly got angry and Azami was starting to reach her limit as well. The two glared at the man as he lit a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.

"That? You think Raymond is a 'that'? You really have no respect for life do you." Asura growled in anger as Azami nodded in agreement.

"Thats right! You have no respect for a life and thats why you decide to kill!" Azami shouted, her anger about to cause some serious damage.

The man just looked at the two and he smiled slowly. He was really enjoying the anger coming from these two.

"He is a 'that'. More like a 'thing'. Born a devil in the body of a young child. That just isnt natural I'm afraid." The man said as he took the cigarette from his mouth. His face was calm and he seemed to have no problem with disrespecting Raymond. "The names Gin. I'm afraid thats all you really need to know. So, who will be the first challenger? Because I guarantee none of you will escape without fighting first."

Azami rushed forward first, shouting anger. Gin smirked and his right arm turned into a sword.

"And so it begins..." Gin said quietly.

**?**

Bael didnt like travelling with Ferdinand. He was the most recent member but for some reason Ferdinand had appointed him his personal bodyguard. The two were currently walking through a dark cave, barely illuminated by a small lacrima Ferdinand was holding and the guild master was talking to Bael. That was why Bael hated going anywhere with Ferdinand. He constantly talked about his old days and Bael was forced to listen. But otherwise the talking, Bael didnt mind the guild master. Currently Ferdinand was talking about his past, something Bael found a least half interesting.

"4 concrete walls, all day Bael. Can you imagine that? It would be like living in this cave but much...more uncomfortable." the guild master said as the two navigated the dark corners of the cave.

"I would stare at the walls for the entire day, only two meals and they were barely nutritious and I was starving. I spent most of my life in that damn prison and lived like a rat. The conditions were terrible Bael. They really were. But then there was that one day..." Ferdinand said as they went deeper and deeper into the cave.

"What prison did you say you were in again?" Bael asked, forgetting the name.

Ferdinand grinned, his memories flooding back to him.

"Duckensford, only the most notorious prison in the world. I spent most of my first lifetime staring at concrete walls or being tortured. But then there was that one day, when we all escaped. The guards went insane, the cell controls went haywire and the prison started to fall apart. My life was about to really start." Ferdinand said to Bael as Bael listened, interested for the first time. He had never heard Ferdinand's story like this.

Ferdinand nodded his head, ducking under a large rock formation, the lacrima casting a white light across the floor and everywhere the light could reach.

"Once I got out and had my own position in life, I started looking for the person who had saved me from a life of misery and torture. But I never found him. But then I got an idea. As you know, I am a visionary. And I intend to see my visions come true, legally or illegally. Do you know of the world known as 'Edolas'?" Ferdinand asked Bael.

The new recruit nodded. He had heard to Edolas before. Many people believed in the parallel world and the words of the Fairy Tail mages who had entered were more than proof. But what about Edolas?

"Yes, I have heard of Edolas. A reverse world to ours. The Last Nightmare Mage came from Edolas did he not?" Bael said, wanting to hear more about Ferdinand's story.

The Tartaros guild master nodded his head. He was getting to the best part of the story.

"There is indeed a world known as 'Edolas'. However, what many people dont know is that there is a third world that is unreachable by ANYONE. The Void is this world's name and nobody has EVER stepped inside. The only instance in which the void was opened was during the Toy Box conflict. Cocoon opened the void and escaped through it. How? I will never know." Ferdinand said as Bael listened quietly, wondering where the guild master was going with this.

The two finally arrived at a large stone chamber with a medium sized hole at the very top, yellow light streaming from the top into the middle. Ferdinand looked at Bael, smiling.

"But I found a way to get in. All I need, is the Blood Diamond Key. And to do that, I need to take care of loose ends." Ferdinand said as he took a black key off of his golden rope that hung across his chest.

There was a growl from the darkness and Bael took a step forward, ready to confront whatever made the noise but Ferdinand held him back. The guild master looked into the darkness and he smiled as he held up the key.

"Well hello Serex. I assume you are not even at third of your original power, seeing that you were summoned on accident. This will not be very difficult at all." Ferdinand said as he held out the key and smiled.

There was a shout from the darkness and the sounds of running. Ferdinand smiled and twisted the key.

"Open! The Gate of the Terror Mother!"

**Difficult chapter although it was an easy concept. More of a background chapter than a fighting chapter. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I will see you all next time. FF**


	12. Hidden within the darkness

**Im thinking about a story that happens before the huge time skip of 150 years. I dont know, I might do it if I dont decide to go on hiatus. As for Ravens have tails, I am holding the chapter back because I plan for the story to be over within 2-3 chapters. Sun Thief is closing in on the ending and will end in 2-3 chapters as well. **

**Dont expect Of Body and Mind to be over soon. We havent even defeated the weakest villain yet. But anyways, I just wanted to write this chapter really quick to kick off the next arc. I also fully support Gin/U.N. Owen even though its an OC pairing and it doesnt exist anywhere else besides here. **

**Anyways, here is the chapter.**

Gin easily dodged Azami's sword and sent her flying back with his own sword. He was incredibly agile and he grinned as Azami glared at him from across the dirt path. Asura was carefully calculating his next move, knowing that using too much magical energy would be fatal to them.

"Well, that is a bit disappointing. You cant even defeat me, the weakest member of Tartaros. I'm more than disappointed!" Gin shouted as he ran forward, the sword glinting in the sunlight.

The blade whizzed past Asura's face and the fire mage realized that he had to make a move fast! Azami tried to come around while Gin was busy attacking Asura but the sword moved quickly, slashing Azami's shoulder. The spirit mage jumped back, grabbing her shoulder. Asura took the opportunity to send fire shooting towards Gin.

"Fires of the Forge! Flame Tongue!" he shouted as fire shot towards the dark cloaked man.

Gin grinned as he saw the flames rising towards him. This was getting interesting. His hand turned into a shield and the man held it up to shield himself from the flames. The flames blasted against it, making the black mage skid across the ground but didnt damage him at all. The shield disappeared and was replaced by another sword, this one curved. Azami and Asura looked at the man with surprise. He wasnt using Requip was he? His body was being turned into weapons and shields!

"Now its my turn!" Gin shouted evilly as he ran towards the two mages, his long blonde hair trailing behind him.

The swords flashed as Gin handled them expertly and managed to cut the two mages in various places as the metal blades whizzed by and Gin expertly dodged attempts to disarm him. Gin grinned as he saw Azami getting ready to attack with her spirit sword and Gin saw an opening.

"Its over for you little girl!" Gin shouted evilly as he swung straight for Azami's chest.

Azami froze, thinking that she was dead. And then suddenly the grinning man was sent blasting into a tree. There was the sound of splintering wood and the tree came crashing down into the forest. Azami looked over to see Asura standing there, his fists in flames, panting.

"That was close..." Asura said, weary.

Azami nodded, thankful that Asura had used his power to save her. They both looked into the forest to see their opponent come from the trees, looking impressed. The cigarette was gone but the man was still smiling.

"Well well well. It seems that you still have some fight left in you. Hopefully you can keep it up!" Gin shouted as he ran forward, his bare fists at the ready.

Gin made the first punch and Asura was amazed at his sudden boost in speed. The fire mage slammed into the ground, taking the full force of the punch. Azami had also tried to attack but Gin had expertly grabbed her arm and smashed his fist into it, causing her to scream and Gin then tripped her over he leg and sent her crashing next to Asura.

The two mages lay on the ground, seemingly defeated. Gin looked at them coldly, his eyes not even showing an emotion.

"We had a good fight but Im afraid that this is the end for both of you." Gin looked over at Raymond who had been propped up against a tree trunk before the battle had begun. "But for the boy...I think we can do something with him. After I kill both of you, I will take the boy to be used for our purposes. Our master will rise again I swear it on the honor of Tartaros."

Gin's right hand turned into a sword once again, the metal dotted red with flecks of blood. Gin positioned the sword right above Asura's heart.

"Good bye Fairy Tail mage." the man said coldly as he plunged the sword downwards.

"I dont think so!"

Gin let out a shout of surprise as he was suddenly grabbed by a huge misty hand and hurled into a boulder. There was a sickening crack as the man flopped downwards. Azami slowly stood, her knees shaking. The Spirit Colossus was her strongest move and she had foolishly used up all her magical power. She helped Asura stand slowly, checking if he was seriously hurt.

"T..thanks." Asura said, his voice hoarse.

Azami could only nod, too tired to say anything. Asura turned to look where Gin was. The man in the black cloak was slowly standing up, his right hand already turned into a sword. Asura knew what he had to do. If this failed, the battle would be over. Gin turned around, blood dripping down his mouth and forehead. He seemed to be limping quite a bit as he started to make his way over to the group.

"Nice try but it is going to take more than a boulder to take me down!" Gin growled.

"Then how about an inferno!"

Gin was disoriented, after having a head on collision with a boulder. He did see the fire mage come running towards him but his arm would not move fast enough to stab him through the chest. Instead, the fire mage grabbed in a bear hug and almost knocked him to the ground.

"W..what the hell! Get off me you child!" Gin roared in outrage as he smacked the sword against Asura's legs.

Asura ignored the pain as he started his move that could end this battle. He converted ALL the magical power he had left and converted it into flame energy. Pretty soon, the flames started to appear around the two. By every second, the flames grew bigger, brighter and hotter. And finally, there was the explosion.

It was white hot and it burned every tree in a mile radius into a crisp. Azami had to duck down to avoid the intense heat and when the explosion had died down, Asura stood, looking down at the charred body that had once been Gin. Asura grabbed his forehead and he fell to the ground, barely able to keep himself upright.

Azami helped him stand and they both picked up Raymond who was still sleeping. The three of them walked home slowly, knowing new facts about what the dark guilds planned and realizing that the game they played was a dangerous one.

**Tartaros guild building, the library**

U.N. Owen was looking at book when suddenly her head started to hurt. She staggered back, the book falling to the carpet floor of the base. She slowly opened one eye. She knew what had happened. It was not rare for partners to develop telepathic links between each other as time went by. She would have started crying if she could. But she stood there, feeling the hole in her heart get wider and wider. Gin was dead.

It was also not rare for partners to develop feelings for each other although it had been mostly one-sided admiration.

She clenched her fists and she sat down, staring at the light brown wall, trying to calm herself. But she couldnt. Gin was dead and there was nothing she could do about it. Suddenly the door to the library opened and Ferdinand entered. His face was grim and he looked at UN. Owen and nodded his head.

"So...you were the first to know. Gin is dead." Ferdinand said quietly.

She nodded her head slowly and Ferdinand sighed. This was not going to be easy. Gin had been a good member and it was going to be difficult to take the loss. Suddenly U.N. Owen started to smile.

"Well...this is simple isnt it. All I have to do...is find those who have killed Gin. And then I kill them. Kill them...that sounds perfect." the young woman said slowly, starting to lightly laugh.

Ferdinand nodded his head. This was an unexpected change in emotion in U.N. Owen. She was usually the calm one...

"Whatever you must do child. Do it."

**Somewhere in Adrianople...**

"Eh el, mayano."

"Bila goturn."

The low voices could barely be heard in the dark alleyway in Adrianople. People were out shopping and the sounds of several voices could easily mask the quiet whispers of coming from the dark alleyway.

"Chester naim furnus."

"Kehahahaha! Justinian firka no baliam! Ing a so paila no masta!"

There was the sound of a cough and the voices died down.

"Well, it seems that our friends are in a bit of need. Shall we level the playing field?"

The sounds of agreement came from the alleyway.

"Well then, it appears that Snake Fang shall make its first OFFICIAL move. I will leave it to you, Chester."

**Yay! New chapter! I liked this chapter. I also updated Hudson Story for the first time in a few months I believe. Anyways, I hope you guys liked that chapter! Thanks and review! FF**


	13. Hajji

**For some reason my package went to Maryland and the date that it arrives is scheduled for tomorrow but Amazon has always been really good with getting things ahead of time so I will hope the package arrives tonight or something. **

**Anyways, there might be a few updates over the weekend if I do get my netbook as I will be trying it out. Probably finishing up the Sun Thief over the weekend. I really dont feel like finishing school tomorrow. I just to skip Thursday so I can just go on vacation on Friday...**

**But we are actually going into a new arc. I love cinematic scenes like this. Anyways, enjoy the story. **

_Despite having been crowned Queen of the Garlan Empire, having the support of the Hohenheim Empire and the citizens of Fiore, Lidia's position as queen was shaky. Some said that Lidia had usurped the throne and the true king was Bartholomew. The recent events had only fortified the supporters of Bartholomew. Even though Bartholomew himself did not care for the throne any longer, they fought on. _

_In order to combat this, Lidia held her first hajji or "pilgrimage" through the city of Adrianople. Usually the monarchs of the Garlan Empire would seclude themselves within the fortress and rarely appear in public. But Lidia needed this public display of strength in order to solidify her position as monarch, for the power of any monarch comes from the people they rule. _

**The streets of Adrianople**

The huge crowds of people gathered along the streets of the great city of Adrianople, watching as trucks of soldiers drove by, the people watching in fascination. The queen was making her first public appearance which was rare for a powerful figure such as the queen.

Bells ran from the churches nearby and several armed soldiers walked along the streets, their armor polished and their swords and spears ready in case anyone tried to disrupt the pilgrimage. The crowds of people were mostly made up of normal citizens although there were nobles there as well. Lidia's coronation had been a private event and many would be seeing their queen for the first time.

And finally, the carriage with the gilded sides appeared. It rolled through the streets gracefully, pulled by 2 powerful horses. It appeared out of place in the newly industrialized world but it would have been a common sight if it was seen in the past. The people cheered as Lidia and Hyde passed, waving to everyone. The carriage didnt have doors so people could get a good look at their queen and consort. The two were the image of the perfect couple and the people seemed to be pleased, watching along the sidewalks as the carriage passed by the Shrine of Justice.

**...**

"Ready then?"

"It should be fine. I see the carriage, it stopped in front of the shrine. Are you in?"

"Hmm? Oh yes I am. I am waiting for your command, master."

The figure clad in dark robes opened his eyes. The piercing purple and black mix was frightening in this low light situation and the black hair matched perfectly. The man was wearing several black colored robes with a leather belt wrapped around the right shoulder and attached to the waist. He was standing in the very back of the crowd that had gathered in front of the shrine and he walked slowly forward, stepping into puddles of water.

He was walking through shade and he entered the crowd, pushing past people. And as he did, the people started to cough violently and fall back onto the ground. The man didnt pay attention to this as he continued to walk towards where the carriage had stopped, the Black Army guards standing around with spears and swords out. The people were still cheering loudly as Lidia and Hyde knelt in front of the shrine and the man smiled slowly as he looked at the carriage, his prize mounted in the very front of the carriage.

The circle, made of polished silver and gold...ripe for the taking...

"Hey you! Stop!" the two Black Army guards said as they noticed the man slowly walking towards them.

The man raised his hand and the two guards suddenly shook and fell backwards, dead. By then the citizens in the crowd had all fallen down, coughing violently. The man kept walking...undisturbed by the deaths of two soldiers.

"You there! Stop!"

The sounds of several soldiers running towards him. They came towards him, their halberds raised towards the man's chest. The man looked at them with a dark look and then looked each of them in the eye.

"The suicide eyes." he whispered as the soldiers stumbled back and then promptly stabbed each other with their spears.

The soldiers gasped as they fell to the ground, friendly spears through their chests and the man advanced even further and soon the soldiers that stood around the carriage took full notice and came running, their swords and spears up. The black armor glinted dully in the afternoon sun and the sounds of trucks arriving on the scene with even more soldiers filled the square. Soldiers surrounded the man but he didnt look worried as he watched Hyde and Lidia come from around the carriage, Hyde having his sword drawn.

"Who are you! And why have you disturbed this ceremony!" Hyde demanded as he walked into the view of the man.

The air was tense as the man looked towards the carriage where his prize was mounted.

"The Snake that devours and never sleeps. That is Snake Fang...Death Magic..."

And then it happened.

The soldiers suddenly let out screams as they started to cough up water and they fell backwards, water pooling around them. Hyde grit his teeth and Lidia took a step backwards, fearful that the demons had come to take her life.

The man reached into his robes and took out a small object. It was round and it was colored light brown. The man looked up at Hyde who had put Lidia behind him. Soldiers were crowding around the two and the man slowly smiled.

"Not today consort." the man said as he dropped the round object onto the ground and it burst, spilling dense white smoke everywhere.

Hyde coughed as he stepped back and he ordered several gunmen to shoot into the smoke but the gunmen were already dead, falling to the ground when the smoke had started. There were shouts and curses as the smoke clouded everyone's vision. The smoke disappeared into the air within minutes and soldiers searched everywhere for the man. But they never found him. Even worse, the priceless artifact that had been attached to the front of the carriage, was gone.

**Fairy Tail**

It had been three days since Asura, Azami and Raymond came back from their mission, badly bruised, out of breath and scared. They had been resting in their dormitories for the full three days and everyone wanted to hear their tale. But the news that the queen's hajji had been interrupted was just as great and Makarov didnt like the sound of a "priceless artifact" being stolen in such a risky manner.

Asura and Azami were sitting at a table, still feeling a bit off balance and Raymond playing with kitchen utensils when suddenly the doors to the guild opened wide and everyone turned to see the return of a man who they thought they would never see again.

The red tattoo down his face and the two women behind him, they made their way towards where Azami and Asura were sitting. The two mages looked at the man in surprised as he held out his hand and bowed.

"My name is Jellal Fernandes and I would like to ally with you."

**There is a lot of credit due here. First, I would like to thank Ubisoft for giving me the inspiration for the main scene in this chapter. It was their EPIC Assassin's Creed Brotherhood trailer that gave me the inspiration to write something like this. **

**PLEASE: go to Youtube and search Assassin's Creed Brotherhood E3 trailer to really get the full effect of the scene. I dont think words are enough to describe a scene as epic as this. So do that pl0x. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter and I hope to see your reviews next time! FF**


	14. Setting sail

**Not much to say here. Got my netbook and I learned that writing from it is actually pretty comfortable. There are still a few things I have to get used to like the sensitive keys but the feel of the keys are just right and I am just loving my netbook right now.**

**Internet speed is pretty good for a small netbook like this and I am impressed with the way it handled a few things. I still need to personalize some things but that shouldn't take much time at all. Probably going to write on the way to DC but that is to be determined.**

**Also, don't forget to subscribe to my feed if you haven't already. I don't know what it does but it seemed pretty useful. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review.**

_The truth had been hidden from the citizens and a major disaster was avoided. But Lidia and Hyde knew better than to relax. They had just lost their most powerful artifact, one that could bring destruction to the world within minutes. But all was not lost. Fairy Tail had teamed up with Crime Sorciere to stop the evil although the mysterious man who had stolen the Circle of War was still unidentified. Just what did they want with the artifact?_

**Wizard Council**

"This was a personal victory but a social defeat." Justinian said to his fellow council members.

They sat at a black marble half circle table and they were discussing important events so far and at the very top of the list was the theft of the artifact during the hajji. Justinian was speaking and the other council members listened carefully. The newly formed Wizard Council was mostly made up of mages from foreign lands. There were still 10 members but at least 7 of them were foreigners. This was done to widen the view of the council as the old ones had always been made up of mages from Fiore.

"But how could that have been a personal victory? Were you not elected to serve the magical population of Fiore?" asked one of the council members.

Justinian nodded. He had been selected for this job because he was a powerful mage and he held a coveted title.

"Yes, I know. That is why I described it as a failure as well. As you all know, I don't like her imperial majesty Lidia or her consort. But even if I despise them, I must uphold my duty as chairman as the newly formed Wizard Council. We do not tolerate those who disrupt the peace in this land. We do not tolerate those who threaten innocent people, noble or common. And we especially do not tolerate those who believe they can do as they please because they are powerful." Justinian said as he smashed his fist down on the black marble table.

**Fairy Tail**

The members of Crime Sorciere introduced themselves properly in Makarov's office. Everyone had sat down to discuss what their plans were and Meredy and Raymond had become good friends in the little time they had spent together.

"So…Tartaros. Who are they exactly?" Asura asked, leaning back in his chair, still a bit tired from the fight 3 days ago.

"Well, originally, we thought they were just a regular dark guild." Jellal explained. "But then we started to really get on their tail and we figured out what they really are."

"And that would be?"

Jellal looked at the group, seriousness in his eyes.

"They are a cult, dedicated to the worship of Julius Silence."

There was silence in the room while the news sank into everyone's minds. Cult? Julius Silence?

"Wait…but why Julius Silence? Isnt he a figure of good?" Azami asked Jellal.

Ultear shook her head. This was where the story got complicated.

"Yes, Julius was a figure of good but the members of Tartaros are worshipping him in a dark way. They want to bring him back to life." Ultear said as she explained to Azami. "Their leader apparently has a connection to Julius and Jack apparently is indebted to him as well. We don't know about the other members though."

Raymond shuddered. He knew something was wrong and the voices inside told him so.

"The dead cant come back from the dead though!" Raymond protested, barely understanding what was happening.

"**Incompetent child! If one possess a high enough energy, the process of life can be lengthened or the dead can come back to life. However, there is only one person in the history of magic that has been able to bring the dead back to life." **Vincent said, enjoying his dark history lesson.

"_Do not speak anymore! His name should stay buried and never recovered. He must rot in his eternal life." _Julius said as he pushed Vincent away from Raymond's mind.

Meredy shook her head sadly. Raymond was just a child and he was already being sucked into a conflict he knew little about.

"Sorry Raymond but people can come back from the dead. It IS possible but it requires someone with extraordinary power. Not even a Nightmare Mage can successfully raise the dead. However, we have recently found someone who can." Meredy said to the group.

Asura and Azami looked surprised. Someone who could bring back the dead? But how? That would mean reversing the flow of life that only the goddess of Death could control!

"And…who exactly is this person?" Azami asked, wanting to know just who had this amount of power.

"We looked into Garlan records a while back and we learned that when Bartholomew and Otto were injured, they were looked after by a man called "The Witch Doctor". We asked Bartholomew himself and he even told us that he existed and was the one who gave Bartholomew the dragon lacrima." Ultear explained as everyone started to nod.

But the question still remained. Where was this 'Witch Doctor'? Asura asked this question and he didn't like where this whole conversation was going. He knew that he was permanently stuck in a huge battle he didn't know much about.

"But where is he? The world is huge and he could be anywhere." Asura asked.

Jellal pulled out a rolled up parchment that looked as if it had seen better days. The edges were ripped and it was yellowed with age. He unfolded it to reveal a map of the world. There was a small glowing red dot on the western continent. Everyone looked down on it and they noticed that it lay in small kingdom called Angkol. The glowing red dot lay in the middle of an area labeled "Unh Forest".

"We used this map to track unusual magic traces. It led us to Angkol, in the middle of the Unh Forest. We aren't completely sure if this is correct but it is the only lead we have." Jellal said as he rolled the map back up.

Asura, Azami and Raymond nodded slowly. It was obvious what would be happening next.

"Alright, we set sail for Derlados. We need to get to Unh Forest as fast as possible." Asura said.

**Magnolia Train Station**

The group quickly made their way down to the train station. It was the fastest way to get to the port that would take them to Derlados. The train station was not very crowded as people were still rebuilding from the gas explosion that had shaken Magnolia only a few days ago and within minutes the group was on a train heading towards the port city of Basta.

But while on the train, they noticed something strange. At every train stop, more and more people would get on board but at a stop in the city of Palon, only one person boarded the train. It was strange because Palon was a merchant city and was well known for its wealthy inhabitants. The person who boarded the train was wearing a black cloak, the hood pulled over their head and they faced away from the group.

"…don't look now but there is someone suspicious behind us…" Asura whispered to Azami.

"Suspicious?" Azami replied as a group of hawks flew past the window.

"Don't worry about it. They wont dare to attack us on a train this crowded and if they follow us, we can just take them down once we get clear." Jellal whispered.

They passed several stops and the suspicious person thankfully left the train a few stops later. The train eventually arrived at the port they were supposed to go to and the group quickly got off the train and headed to where the ships were docked.

The port was rather quiet with only a few crews of people coiling huge ropes and lifting cargo onto ships. There were several warships docked as well, the metallic cannons facing out towards the sea with powerful menace. Jellal pointed to a ship with many people looking off the side of it.

"That is the ship we will be taking. It shouldn't take more than a few hours to reach the western continents.

"Ah…boats…" Azami said, remembering her seasickness.

The group walked up to a few of the people who were hanging out in front of the ship. They wore striped bandanas on their head and wore white and blue striped shirts. They were talking and stopped when they noticed the group in front of them.

"Ahoy mate! What brings ya to the Fog King?" one of the men asked as they smiled.

"We are mages from Fairy Tail. We wondered if we could get a ride on your ship. You are sailing to the Western Continent right?" Jellal asked.

The men nodded and were about to let the group on the ship when a laugh broke through the air.

"Har har har! Fairy Tail ye say? Let them on! Skull and Bones will never turn away a mage of the legendary Fairy Tail!"

Everyone looked up towards the ship where a huge man was standing. He towered over everyone and he was three times as large, carrying a huge axe with him. He had a huge beard of grey hair and was wearing a captain's navy blue great coat with faded buttons and medals. Everyone greeted the man as they walked up the gangplank but Jellal seemed to be surprised.

"Waldo…what are you doing here? We heard that we would be taking a commercial ferry to Derlados, not riding on your fleet of ships!" Jellal said, surprised to see the legendary ship captain.

The huge man shook his head, his beard swinging with it.

"Ye got it all wrong. My fleet isn't here right now. They be docked in Derlados. Darn storm blew us off course. We just were just about to head there and you were lucky to find us here. Yer ship is probably late due to the storm. Mighty storm at that." Waldo explained.

"Well I guess we will be riding with the legendary Waldo of Skull and Bones." Jellal laughed.

"Lets set sail!" Raymond shouted.

**And that is the chapter. I also have a question. Did you all have Friday off of school? Because I did. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review! FF**


	15. Angkol

**Quick question here. Were you all busy this weekend? I know I was semi busy in terms of homework and going places. But anyways here we are with another chapter. Oh and don't worry about We Stand Alone. I will most likely be writing the next chapter during the ride home. But this chapter we see a group of people that I enjoyed thinking about. **

**Note that I model the nations in this after real life empires. The Garlan Empire is supposed to reflect the Ottoman Empire to some extent and the Angkol Kingdom represents The Holy Roman Empire. And as always with countries on the western continent, they reject magic as heresy and demon work. Also you will see some strange terms to describe what the Angkol soldiers wear (because I like to describe things in huge detail). Look up Great Helm and Frog Mouth Helm to get a visual of what Angkol soldiers wear. Anyways, here is the chapter.**

_The Fog King sailed towards Derlados, the western continent. Derlados was a strange continent. It was the most populated continent but none of the inhabitants were magical. Reason being, the people of Derlados reject magic as heresy and kill any mage on sight. But otherwise, the people of Derlados are kind to foreigners. The western continent is covered mostly by pine forests and little patches of frosty land. _

_However a trait separates the people of Derlados from the rest of the world. They are extremely religious and are willing to die in the name of their god. One kingdom in particular (the kingdoms of Derlados are separated much like the tribes in Asarabia), Angkol, is the most religious and is leaning towards conflict with the Garlan Empire. The Angkol kingdom seems stretched thin, controlling all the coasts of Derlados and only a little bit of the interior but they control all goods entering and leaving the continent and that is their greatest advantage. They also support a strong army and hire mercenaries from the Knights of Sar and Hunter Pride. _

_But has something been manipulating events so far? War would be perfect for those who oppose Lidia and Hyde and perhaps, evil has set things up perfectly._

"Aga…suna." Raymond said slowly, receiving a nod from Meredy who was tutoring Raymond on how to say 'Hello' in Angkolian.

The two were sitting on the deck of _The Fog King_, enjoying the sun and the cool salty sea air as the ship sailed towards the Derlados port. Asura and Azami were also looking out into the ocean and Waldo was steering the ship and the other crew members swarmed the riggings like ants. It had been a peaceful two hours since they left the Fiore. So far, nobody had tried to attack them and it was a nice change of pace.

…

"Do you think they can handle it?" Ultear asked Jellal worriedly as the ship travelled to Derlados.

Jellal looked at the black haired mage and he sighed. Jellal hated deceiving people especially after the life he used to lead.

"I don't know. I think they can. I hope they can. Hiding magical power can be difficult at first but it can be a quick process. I didn't want to tell them about the people there because not a lot of people visit anyways." Jellal said, having regrets about not telling Asura and Azami a few key details.

Ultear just looked despaired as she turned to look out the porthole in the wall.

"I'm sure they can handle it Jellal. They aren't children after all." Ultear said, half scorning Jellal.

"Well what was I supposed to say? That these people kill mages upon detection? I didn't want to scare them away! We need their help Ultear. We really do. Something is going on and it isn't good." Jellal said as he answered Ultear's question, a grim look coming to his face.

Ultear just sighed. It was true. They did need Asura and Azami for this mission. But something was lingering in her mind. Would the Witch Doctor even help them? He was known throughout legend as a man of evil but one could only hope.

…

"Bleh…." Azami said, nearly turning green as she vomited over the side of the ship.

Asura was leaning on the railing, looking concerned. Who knew she had such bad sea sickness? They had been talking about where they were going for quite a while but Azami kept getting sea sick.

"Land ho!"

The shout was a big relief to Azami as she looked up from the side of the ship to notice that the colors of the world. They weren't as lively as the colors in Magnolia. In fact everything looked like there was grey mixed in. Even the water seemed greyish as the ship headed towards the docks.

And finally they made it. The ship docked at the port and the crew began unloading the crates that had been stored underneath. Asura and Azami looked around the port with wonder. They had arrived at Derlados!

It sure did seem like an entirely different world. Pine trees grew from the rich soil and there were several brick houses not too far from the port. Several ships were docked at the port and they all seemed to be part of the Skull and Bones fleet. Waldo had gone to talk with some of the other sailors and Jellal and Ultear came up from below decks. They greeted Asura and Azami as they came over and Raymond and Meredy joined them as well.

"Well, we finally made it to the western continent." Asura sighed as he looked across the port.

"Its beautiful here but why does everything look like it has grey mixed in?" Azami asked, looking at all the people moving across the stone harbor and unloading crates.

"Its because of the clouds. The clouds here seem to be incredibly dense and they filter out color from the sun. But I have something very important to tell you." Jellal said seriously, looking at the group.

Everyone nodded and Jellal pointed across the port to a group of armored men walking in. There were four of them. Two of them wore Great Helms with chain mail covering their body with thick cloth underneath. The two other men wore huge and bulky metal plated armor and carried double bladed axes and had on a helmet that had no eye holes, just a small opening at the top edge of the helmet so the soldiers had to lean forward to see out of them. Azami shivered when she saw them.

"Those guys," Jellal said as he looked back at the group. "are Angkol soldiers. Don't, and I repeat, don't EVER talk to them or even look at them. I don't know if you guys know this but the people of the western continent aren't kind to mages and will KILL any mage they detect without hesitation. You should be fine if you stay away from them because ordinary people can't detect magic that easily."

Asura and Azami nodded nervously as the group moved off the ship and headed towards the inside of the city that was right next to the port. As they passed the stores and houses that lined the streets of the city, the group noticed that there were soldiers EVERYWHERE. Standing on street corners, walking down roads and even eating food at cafes. This made everyone nervous as they passed through small city, trying not to look 'magical' if that was even possible. They soon headed out of the city and towards a dirt path that led to the Unh Forest but Asura and Azami couldn't shake a creepy feeling they had.

…

"Who were they." asked an armored soldier who wore a Great Helm with gilded sides and wore heav metal plate armor.

The soldiers who stood next to the armored soldier strained to see the group of people leave the city and one of them, a pale young man wearing a metal safari helmet and holding a rifle looked at the armored person.

"I thought I saw them come from a ship. Is there something wrong generalia*?" asked the rifleman.

The foot soldiers that stood around the general drew their razor sharp swords and growled towards the city's entrance.

"Should we give chase generalia?" the asked, ready to chase after the group.

"No. Let them be. Just keep an eye on them…they seem to be…different." The general said as the group left the city.

The soldiers nodded and the soldiers signaled to a group of lightly armored, lanky men. They took off running after the group. The general watched the scouts leave and turned away to view the harbor.

**Sorry there wasn't much action in it. Next chapter will be more action packed I promise. I just wanted to show you the Angkol and stuff. There was supposed to be a special scene at the end but I took it out for next chapter because it's a bit…foreshadowing filled. **

**References for this chapter: *generalia means general in Angkolian**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it and I will see you in the next chapter! Action shall be it's middle name! FF**


	16. Amgovar

**Well, its a monday. I have mixed feelings about having Monday off. It does make the school week shorter and gives me a day off of school but it also makes preparing for tests even more stressful. Bah, whatever. Expect a double update as I dont have much to do today. Uh, now that We Stand Alone and Sun Thief are done...I only have 3 stories that I can update. I really dont want to rush Dragon Myth and Ravens have tails so I guess Of Body and Mind is my only option.**

**I am also currently working on an original story but that just gives me a headache when I think about it. Making two guys steal potatoes from Prussian food trains in 1777 is harder than you think. Its about the Bavarian War of Succession and its nickname is "The Potato War".**

**By the way, I'm King's Crossing on FictionPress. I dont have any stories updated so I will let you all know when I do. Anyways, here is the chapter.**

_The Angkol kingdom had a peculiar way of choosing their heirs. If the reigning king had more than child, whether they be male or female, when it came time for one of them to take the crown, they would have the children fight to the death to decide who would become the king. That way, even the youngest child or a daughter could become the next ruler. _

_The Angkolians did not care whether the ruler was a woman or a man. It had not meaning to them. Rulers will be rulers and it is their decision that will either allow their kingdom to prosper or fail into bitter poverty. _

**Angkol capitol, Hemr***

Although Derlados had a very dull color scheme due to the heavy clouds, the architects that had built Hemr had tried to make it as lively as possible. And they had succeeded. The entire city seemed to be where all the color in the drab grey of the western continent seemed to pool. The capitol of Angkol was the envy of any ruler, even Lidia envied their beautiful capitol and had many times considered moving the capitol officially to Arcana.

The several rising towers with tiles plated with gold shone in the dull sunlight and the smooth black streets all led to the palace. Shops and places to eat lined every street and their buildings were full of colors. Houses of various sizes and colors were also around the capitol. However, what was most impressive was the huge palace that stood in the very center of the town. It had great big domed towers with gold plating down the sides. The top of the domes were painted blue and several scenes depicting battles. There were 4 of these towers that stood around the central building, a huge palace made of black marble. It was shaped like 3 huge cylinders made of beautiful black marble, connected by a roof made of gold. The walls that went down the sides were made of black iron but had sloped sides to prevent battering rams. But the gates to the palace is what impressed visitors the most. They were made of solid gold.

But inside the palace, there was a very important meeting going on. Something that could affect the lives of many millions of people and create a shift in the balance of power.

**Prince Sebastian's private quarters**

Prince Sebastian was a young man, barely in his twenties. But even at this young age, he had proved himself a skilled warrior, killing his brothers and sister in fair combat to be the undisputed heir to the Angkol throne. He was a lanky but muscled man, green eyes and tanned. His eyes were intelligent and he had a just a small amount of stubble on his chin. He wore red robes that had golden thread woven in elaborate patterns.

There was another man in the room with him, holding a...plate of some sort. It was made of shiny silver that had several runes carved in and the center piece was golden with holes drilled around the perfectly circular piece. The man holding it was also a young man with blonde hair and brown eyes which was unusual. He wore dark red robes that split at his feet for room to walk. He was looking very happy as Sebastian studied the object he was holding.

"A fascinating object...you went through all that trouble just for this?" Sebastian asked as he looked at the man who held it.

The man bowed and smiled. Everything was going perfectly.

"You are leaning towards war your highness. The powerful Garlan Empire is coming to crush you and your culture! You must act quickly and be prepared for the attack. And this weapon," the man said as he gestured at the object he held. "will help you crush the Garlan Empire and allow you to create your own empire! The Amgovar** family shall be the strongest!"

Sebastian nodded and stood. It was true that war was coming. The Garlan Empire were heretics with their magic and their many goddesses. The one true god shall root them all out!

"I will gather my soldiers. When we go to war, I expect you and your group of "warriors" to join me with your powerful weapon." Sebastian said as the man bowed.

The strange man turned to leave the room when Sebastian suddenly stopped him.

"Wait! What is your name stranger." the princes, soon to be king, asked.

The man turned his head and smiled slyly.

"They call me Gitz my prince. But you can call me 'Lester'."

**The Unh Forest**

They had entered the Unh Forest easily without detection. The forest was actually quite beautiful with huge pine trees that never lost their needles during winter. The forest was teeming with animals and many deer had come up to them to say hello. Raymond was especially enjoying the forest. Jellal was carrying the map, looking around the forest. Everyone else talked quietly as they walked on the dirt path that cut through the middle of the forest. Suddenly Jellal stopped. They had been walking for about an hour or so.

"Hold on...there is something weird about this place..." Jellal said as he looked around the pine trees, trying to see something.

"Whats wrong?" Ultear asked as Jellal turned to her.

The fugitive mage's face was serious as he spoke to her.

"I thought I heard...voices. Must have been my imagination." Jellal sighed as he looked down at the map again. "But, this is where the magical signal ends. Perhaps this is where the Witch Doctor lives?"

Azami looked around. Asura was also frowning as he looked over Jellal's shoulder at the map. Meredy was next to Raymond and Raymond was staring down at the dirt, looking at a bug that was crawling in the dirt.

**"Danger lurks around every corner. You have given yourself away! Hide now!" **Vincent suddenly screamed in Raymond's head.

_"Vincent is right! Get away now!" _ Julius shouted in agreement.

Raymond was about to warn everyone when suddenly Jellal let out a shout of pain and he lurched forward. There was a knife stuck in his shoulder. Everyone whipped around to see a group of soldiers come out from the bushes and out from behind pine trees. They wore leather armor and carried knives. Scouts. Jellal growled as he pulled the knife out of his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. No blood dripped from Jellal's wound as he faced the soldiers with the rest of the group.

"Nice try. But its going to take more than a knife to take me down!" Jellal growled as the soldiers ran forward, knives ready.

There were a handful of soldiers, not too many but more than the group of mages. The scouts were not very strong, barely enough to keep the group occupied. Asura burned the scouts to a crisp. Azami sent the scouts flying with her Spirit Make. Meredy and Raymond proved to be a good team as Raymond could easily dodge the scouts' attacks and give them punishing blows while Meredy finished them off easily. Ultear and Jellal also teamed up to effectively finish off the scouts.

The defeated scouts lay on the ground and the group of mages turned around to continue looking for here the Witch Doctor lived when suddenly a voice stopped them. Walking down the path was a soldier, wearing the armor of a foot soldier but wearing the black and white armor of a general. The general wore a black Great Helm and they had their sword drawn.

"I knew something was suspicious about you. Mages, one the western continent. Not smart." the general said as the helmet was pulled off, revealing long blonde hair that ended in curls and purple eyes.

The woman tucked the helmet underneath her arm and threw down her sword and grinned.

"How dumb can you be? My name is U.N. Owen, you may have seen me earlier. Now, who was the one who killed my beloved Gin? I will make the short remainder of your life a living hell." she said, smiling sweetly at the group.

**And there we go. U.N. Owen has revealed herself! Funfact: Sebastian is in love with Tate although its more one sided on Sebastian's part. **

**References: *Hemr pronounced "Heh-mur"**

****Amgovar is the ruling family of Angkol. Pronounced "Am-go-var"**

**And that is for the chapter. You got to see a few cool characters today and I hope you guys enjoyed. Possibility of a double update tonight. Thanks for reading! FF**


	17. Hell's Fountain

**Lame title. If you guys have noticed, I try to make my titles interesting. I didnt want to make it "U.N. Owen was her" because that is too obvious a reference. But going on to the AN:**

**:( nobody reviewed last chapter. Well, someone favorited two of my stories last night and I got a really good review on Hudson Story. But anyways, what is your opinion on a story that takes place...perhaps a few years after Of Body and Mind? I am pretty sure I am stretching the timeline as it is right now. But in fact, I have everything in terms of history, planned out. If you guys follow me, you know that I drop historical references all the time. **

**But anyways, I was going to release a one-shot involving Sebastian and Tate but I decided not to, at least not without really introducing the two properly. I didnt want them to fall into the background as "side characters" because every character has a purpose and Tate and Sebastian have not filled theirs yet. **

**Is it a good thing to have long ANs? I think so. But anyways, here is the chapter. Enjoy.**

_It seemed as if the entire world was ready for war. The Angkol kingdom had been stockpiling weapons for over a century and their religious beliefs had brought them to a fierce rivalry with the Garlan Empire. However, it was not Garla that stood up to this challenge. It was the Hohenheim Empire that stood up to the Angkols._

_The Hohenheims were technically an independent empire but because Lidia was empress, they were still expected to acknowledge Garlan laws and regulations. But the Hohenheims had their own armies and they were willing to go to war against the Angkols. Tate believed that it was time for her empire to show themselves as a powerhouse like Garla. But the Angkols were not afraid. _

_Meanwhile, Lidia and Hyde prepared for a possible war. They prayed that the war would be avoided through diplomatic relations but they didnt know that this war was put together through manipulation and deceit. _

**Hemr, Sebastian's balcony**

"We will not be afraid of these Hohenheims! They believe that they can easily intimidate us but who are we? Who are we!" Sebastian shouted from his balcony at the thousands of soldiers gathered below.

At least one soldier from each regiment had arrived to hear Sebastian's speech and their blood ran high with the energy that would fuel their war.

"We are Angkol! Our mighty fist drives the word of our god into the forehead of our enemies!" the soldiers bellowed back to Sebastian.

"And who is our god who is so mighty that he created the world while he snored!" Sebastian roared, fierce energy running through him, feeling the energy he was creating in the courtyard.

"Our god is Hamos! The mightiest of the mighty! Keeper of the black sheep!" shouted the soldiers as they dropped to their knees as the mention of their god.

Sebastian nodded as he looked to the sun that hung between two dense and grey clouds. He raised his hands to the fiery ball of light and he watched the sun shimmer.

"Hamos will protect us! Hamos is almighty against these goddesses the Hohenheims believe in! We shall not be defeated! We will crush all those who stand before us and after the Hohenheims lay dead, the heretics strung up along their own castle walls, who do we hunt for!" Sebastian roared, his body trembling as he delivered his fiery speech.

"Garlan blood! We hunt for Garla!" the soldiers in the courtyard below shouted back to him, pounding sword on shield and axe against ground.

Sebastian grinned wide as he looked over the courtyard, feeling as he had when he defeated his siblings for the throne. He spread his arms wide over the soldiers and let out a final shout.

"Now go! We sail soon towards the middle continent! We shall take it in the name of Hamos! Know that their heretic mages wait for your sword to pierce through their head and chest! Eng an spilga!" Sebastian shouted as the crowd of soldiers roared from beneath him.

**...**

"...you did a fine job Lester." Zeref said as he turned from the lacrima that had shown the scene in Sebastian's courtyard.

Lester was smiling as he watched Zeref walk and sit down on a small wooden stool in the room where they sat. There came a small cough and Zeref and Lester looked over at Hades who was standing in the corner of the small furnished room where they were. It was not a large room, large enough for at most four people and three fit nicely. No windows, an old wooden door and wooden walls with scratches. There was a desk but nothing on it besides the small purple lacrima that had just projected the image of Sebastian delivering his war speech. There was a small wooden stool where Zeref sat and Lester and Hades stood. It was not the ideal resting place but they were travelling to their hideout soon.

"What about Jellal and Fairy Tail. They seem to be dead set on finding out the truth." Hades said worried about the group of mages.

Zeref nodded, closing his eyes and sighing. He half wished he could have stayed in his second form as it was much more peaceful. But his third form had come up quicker than he had thought and he had no choice but to embrace it. After all, he was the first Nightmare Mage and as the first champion of Evil, he had been cursed from the beginning with eternal torment.

"Yes Hades, they are a troublesome group. But lets wait. U.N. Owen has made a very uninteresting appearance, exposing herself to the group much to quickly but she was always reckless and even more so now that Gin is dead." Zeref said as he opened his eyes, the pupils now blood red with the trait of the Suicide Eyes. "Yes, we will wait. At least until the group has found Vi'Nay."

Lester and Hades nodded slowly. Knowing that Zeref was right. Rushing in too fast will be bad and they didnt want to give away their plans just yet. But Hades still had a request.

"But when the time comes for us to step in, I will be the one to take them down." Hades said, his uncovered eye looking at Zeref with intensity.

Lester was about to complain but stopped when Zeref raised his hand calmly.

"Very well Hades. You win. But for now, we will wait and keep an eye on the small group but watch with great interest as this little war unfolds. I have not seen much bloodshed in my time so far in my third form and I wish to at least see a little bit of red liquid drop to the fields in this form. But I can thank Lester for setting this up for me. And when everything is ashes, we can easily come in and create the world the fools at the Tower of Heaven envisioned." Zeref explained, getting a nod from Hades.

"As you wish." Hades and Lester said together.

**Unh Forest**

Before the group could even move, Raymond and the other members of Crime Sorciere found themselves trapped inside a large box made of ice. Only Asura and Azami were outside and U.N. Owen was looking at them with a sick smile. Jellal and the others pounded on the box of ice but they couldnt even make a dent.

Asura and Azami just seemed surprised as they looked behind them to see their friends trapped. How had she figured it out so quickly? The two looked where U.N. Owen was standing but she was gone and suddenly Azami was sent flying back, smashing into the box of ice. Asura looked around, unsure where Owen had gone. Suddenly Asura felt a stabbing pain enter his stomach and then he found himself lying on the ground.

"That was just the slight cut. Next round is much more painful and your friends get to watch. Doesnt seem much like fun but I can tell you how much this is for me." the sadistic voice came from above Asura.

The flame mage slowly got up, glaring at the woman how had attacked them. Azami was up too and she was grabbing her shoulder. U.N. didnt seem worried as she looked at the two mages.

"Hm. Most people would already be out by now. I guess you both have _some _worth." Owen said as she looked at the them with interest. "How you both managed to defeat Gin, I will never know."

Asura and Azami glared at the woman standing before them and they thought about their friends trapped behind ice. This woman was going down and there was nothing that would stop them. Azami struck first, her swords made of wispy white mist flying towards Owen. The swords were easily dodged as Owen was incredibly fast but one struck her armor as she dodged and the black mage stumbled and Asura saw an opening.

"Fires of the Forge! Flame Shot!" Asura shouted as he sent a shot of flame crackling towards Owen at blind speed.

The flames struck dead on and the two let out a cheer as U.N. rolled on the ground and got back up, glaring at the two. She dusted herself off and looked at the group with a sneer.

"You idiots. Do you really think a sword will do anything? I'm wearing armor!" she shouted as she put her hand on the ground and the ground started to freeze, the icy blue cracks developing in the ground. "Flash Freeze!"

The ice froze everything unnaturally fast, turning the battlefield into a freezing wasteland as the ice suddenly rose up and struck Azami backwards and Asura barely dodging but slipping and sliding across the ice. U.N. laughed at their failure as the ice retreated. Oh the usefulness of ice magic. Everything freezes, does it not? Azami stood up, completely dumfounded at U.N.'s power. She froze things! But there was no water!

"How in the world did you do that! There isnt any water near us!" she shouted as she created a hammer made of spirits to smash into the black mage.

The black mage simply held her hand up at the huge hammer that came crashing down on her and the hammer seemed to whittle away into wispy smoke. But Asura had managed to move around her while she concentrated on Azami's attack.

"Fires of the Forge! Vulcan's Wrath!" shouted the flame mage as he smashed both fists into U.N.'s side.

The black mage let out a shout of rage as she fell to the ground but rolled away from Asura's secondary attack. The Tartaros member slammed her hand into the ground and soon the frosty ground had snapped Asura away, the frost covering his hand. Owen slowly stood, and faced the two mages as they regrouped.

"Well, a flame mage. Seems too coincidental. But no matter, I have weakened your fire power by at least 50% thanks to my Flash Freeze and your spirit attacks are virtually useless against my Grinder unless you conjure something truly awesome which you wont do because you dont want to waste too much energy do you?" the black mage said mockingly to the two mages, being overly cocky.

Meanwhile inside the box of ice, the group of four had shot their magic at the thick ice but each time the ice melted, an entirely new layer would form. Even if they attacked at the same time, their power wasnt enough to completely break through the ice. Raymond spent the entire time feeling useless as he knew he was holding the group back. If only he were stronger...and then he got the idea. What if...he made contact with Vincent again? Last time he used Vincent's power, he had managed to defeat Walther all by himself! So the young boy decided to try it once more, to help out the group.

'Vincent! Please! I need your power!' the young boy thought desperately as Crime Sorciere continued to strike the box of ice repeatedly with their magic.

_"No! You do not want to let him into your body again! In your mind is bad enough! Let me lend you MY power!" _Julius warned Raymond.

But Julius was overpowered by the incredible force of Vincent as he rushed to "aid" Raymond. Julius could literally see the evil and greedy look on Vincent's face as he spoke to the young boy.

**"Oh yes! I will always be there to aid you Raymond! Now let me help you!" **Vincent said, leering at Julius.

Raymond nodded halfway and suddenly he started to feel lightheaded. He was surprised how little time it took to receive his new power. Raymond turned to the block of ice, one of his eyes turning red.

"Everyone, step back! If we all hit it one more time we can win!" Raymond said as everyone nodded.

Everyone prepared to destroy the box of ice as Raymond sighed. The red eye seemed to glow with intensity as Raymond looked at the of thick ice.

"Now! Hell's Fountain of Flame!" Raymond screamed as the entire box of ice was shaken as the four mages let loose their spells.

Asura and Azami didnt take notice as the box of ice behind them suddenly rose in temperature. They had already made up their mind. They would use what they had used against Gin. Their strongest spells. With a yell, the two mages ran forward, the Colossus already summoned and smashing its fist towards Owen. And Asura ran forward, his entire body covered in flames, roaring with anger as he left towards the black mage. The insane grin on U.N.'s face seemed to glow as the air between the two mages started to frost and the Colossus' fist came down on her.

Would their attacks be enough? Would they have enough magical power to finish her off? Will the group trapped in the ice be able to break out and aid the group in time?

**And there we go. I noticed that my chapters were pretty short so I decided to make this one lengthy with (what I think) is some awesome dialogue involving the members of Snake Fang. Oh and as for Sebastian, ah, one sided love.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter and there was a hint in this chapter about the future between Vincent and Raymond. I hope you guys enjoyed and please review! FF**


	18. Darren and Selena

**Well, I am proud to say that I finally released my original story! It was headache for sure and I put it on FictionPress yesterday after rewriting the entire thing to more comfortable way. So go check it out. Even if you dont like history because it deals with a war between Austria and Prussia in 1777. It is called "Steal Potatoes or Shoot".**

**Anyways, I might be getting an idea for a story a few years after this one. It seems that every time I update my profile with new people, places and terms, I get new ideas for stories. Oh and dont forget to check out my profile for new updates on chapters and the terms section which I update often. **

**And here is the chapter! Enjoy.**

The punch connected to Owen's face and the black mage was sent stumbling back and Asura quickly landed on the ground ready to attack her with his strongest move. Unfortunately, the black mage had stumbled too far and the Colossus' fist smashed into the ground in front of Asura, blocking his view and startling him. This gave Owen enough time to get up and strike at Asura. The frozen ground reared up and the jagged ice spikes stabbed at Asura as he dodged and attempted to melt the ice with his flames. Asura was still feeling up to the fight as she watched Asura dodge the attacks but she knew she would have to be careful.

"A mage that is a general in an army that hunts down mages. How contradictory!" Asura said as he dodged a spike made of ice and broke another in half with his flaming fist.

Owen smiled as she continued to send ice flying at the Fire Mage. She was too busy attacking him that she didnt Azami slowly moving up to attack her side.

"Hypocrisy is everywhere you fool. Even the greatest good is evil and the greatest evil, good!" Owen shouted as she broke through Asura's defenses and smashed her fist into his knee, sending the flame made sliding across the ground, holding his knee.

The Tartaros member suddenly conjured a knife from the air and held it above Asura menacingly. Her crazy smile stretched across her face as she spoke threateningly.

"This is the end for you!" she shouted as she plunged the knife downwards.

Suddenly there was a crack a scream as the knife spun away from Owen's hand and landed on the ground with a clank. The black mage whipped around to glare, holding her wrist when a foot smashed into her face, spraying blood across the ground as the black mage fell to the ground, her hand grabbing her face. Azami stood over her, her face dark and her fists clenched. Asura stood and thanked her and the two stood over the black mage.

"You are wrong Owen. This is the end for you!" the two said as the launched their attacks.

"Flash Freeze, Arctic Nightmare!" U.N. shouted and Asura and Azami blasted back before they could do anything.

The two Fairy Tail mages skidded across the ground and when they stopped, their movements felt...slow. Their joints felt weak and they could barely stand without shaking. Thankfully, U.N. Owen could not stand either without wobbling and the black mage smiled slyly.

"I didnt think it would be like this. You defeating me, me defeating you...but I guess this is it. I must avenge Gin not matter what, even with the cost of my own life...Combination Magic, Stoppage!" U.N. Owen coughed as she said the spell's name.

The ground shook as a rift appeared in the middle of the battlefield and out came a huge statue made of ice. It had a scale in one hand and an axe made of blue ice. The eyes of the statue glowed red and it started to move forward at a quick pace and U.N. Owen sank to her knees, watching with sick joy as the statue pounded into Asura and Azami. It seemed as if nothing could stop it.

But then a breakthrough. U.N. Owen had cast her final spell and her magical power had depleted. And with her magical power gone, the box of ice was no longer reinforced...the combined attacks of Crime Sorciere and Raymond had created a crack big enough for one person to go through and as Raymond fell back onto the ground, taking deep breaths, he made his decision.

"J..Jellal...go. I cant do anything like this..." Raymond said as he said weakly from exhaustion.

Meredy and Ultear nodded in agreement and Jellal wasted no time breaking through the ice trap and heading towards where Asura and Azami were fighting. Before the statue could do any more damage, Jellal jumped in front of the attack, taking the full force himself. The pain seared through him as he looked at Asura and Azami and spoke through grit teeth.

"Go! Finish that witch off! Hurry!" Jellal hissed as he continued to take the blows of the statue.

Asura and Azami nodded their thanks and moved as quickly as they could to finish off U.N. They finally saw her on her knees and hey quickly limped towards her, ready to finish the witch off. But U.N. saw them coming and she gripped her sword tightly and with fierce determination Azami summoned her spirit sword.

"No! NO! You were supposed to be dead! How did you-" U.N. glanced over at the box that had a hole in it and she gave a growl of frustration as she swung her sword at Azami as she limped towards her.

The sword blow was clumsy and Azami easily avoided it. Without saying a single hateful word, Azami cut the blade across the black mage's chest. The blade seemed to punch through the metal and the black mage cried out in pain as her blood spilled across the dirt path and she fell onto the ground, her life slowly dying. The statue disappeared and so did the ice trap. The entire group gathered around U.N. as she died and the black mage said her final words.

"Too late...you were t...too late. I know I am a pawn in this g..game. We all do. But all I needed to d...do is s..stop you. Drag you d...down. G...Gin...I will be there soo-"

Her head fell back and everyone closed their eyes but an unsettling feeling still lingered in their mind. Pawns in a game? Drag them down? There was a cape attached to the back of U.N.'s armor and the group draped it over her dead body.

Jellal turned around and opened the map once again. Even with the fight, they had to go on. They needed to find the Witch Doctor. The group advanced no further than three steps when a voice made them stop in their tracks.

"Stop! Stop! Stoben*! I submit!" the voice shouted from thin air.

In the next second, there was a flash and a small hut appeared next to a large pine tree not too far from where they were standing. Out from it came an old man with a short grey beard and wearing a brown bowler hat. He was wearing old brown monk robes and he seemed to be worried.

"Damn you fools! Dont you know anything about secrecy? Come in! Quick!" the old man scolded as he ushered them towards his small wooden hut.

**...**

The hut was a lot bigger than it looked. It seated everyone comfortably and everyone sat at a wooden table with hot tea in cups before them. Everyone was all very surprised. Was this man the Witch Doctor? They expected someone who was a lot more, evil looking. The old man sat in an old plush chair and he leaned back, looking at the group.

"I know what you are all thinking. Why do I look so innocent?" the old man said as he sighed. Everyone nodded slowly. "Its because I try to hide my sins under a veil of oldness. I can shape shift and I assume this form when I am home. Any other questions?"

Jellal spoke up. This man had to be the Witch Doctor. Nobody else could cloak their home so perfectly and shape shift!

"We need to know how to bring back the dead. A list of all the things needed if possible." Jellal said seriously, his blue hair matted with sweat and water.

The Witch Doctor frowned and he reached into his monk robes to pull out an old rolled up scroll. He opened it and handed it to Jellal. Jellal looked over it and he seemed stunned. The man stood and he paced around the room.

"Why do people keep seeking ways to bring back the dead? My brother came not long ago asking for a way and I gave it to him but now you? You rowdy bunch of mages." the man said as he stopped in front of a fireplace that suddenly burst into warm flames.

"Your brother? Who is your brother?" Azami asked, curious.

"His name is Darren. He joined up with a group of mages recently and he seems pretty enthusiastic about it." the old man said as he answered Azami's question.

Jellal and the rest of Crime Sorciere suddenly stood and they all had grim looks on their faces when the Witch Doctor mentioned 'Darren'.

"Darren? He is a mage in the dark guild Tartaros! Why would you give something to an evil person like him?" Jellal asked as he walked up to the Witch Doctor.

The old man glared up at the taller blue haired mage with no remorse. His eyes were as hard as steel as he held his gaze.

"Do not get me wrong wizard. I am no do-gooder. I am an evil just as you used to be. I have caused trouble recently and I will continue to do so without remorse. But you are lucky Jellal. I have agreed to help you. I have given you the list of items needed to bring back the dead and you may come into conflict with my brother and sister. They are eager to fight and I can not guarantee you your life. Go, the people will need you and pray that you can handle two big jobs at once." The man said as he glared up at Jellal.

The group stood and said their thanks, the words of the Witch Doctor still in their minds. But they were stopped when they reached the door.

"No, dont go through that door. It isnt safe for you here. The patrols are on high alert and are looking for mages. I will send you back home." the Witch Doctor said as a magical seal appeared around them and there was a flash as the group disappeared.

**Tartaros HQ**

Ferdinand had a letter on his desk that he had opened recently but he wasnt concentrating on that now. He had Selena and Darren in his office right now, two of the toughest in their group. Selena was nothing more than an elementary school child and her brother was a teenager. But they each had their own special ways and they were not to be messed with.

"I think you know what I called you in for. We have the list right? So we need only get a few more things and our plan will be complete. On top of that, the summoning is supposed to take place soon." Ferdinand said to the two mages.

Darren was a teenage boy, completely wrapped in chains. He seemed to be silent most of the time. He was wearing the black cloak of the guild and was completely wrapped in steel chain, restricting his movement and his arms. His sister, Selena wore more color, having on a yellow t-shirt and jeans.

"So...what did Hades want." Darren asked, looking at the letter on Ferdinand's desk.

The guild master picked up the letter and looked at it, a bored expression coming onto his face.

"Just wants to join in on the fun if you guys cant make it in time. May join anyways just for the fun of it. Scary guy him." Ferdinand said as he put the letter back down.

"And the Angkols? They are starting a war you know. I hope you plan to stop them somehow." Selena said in a worried voice.

Ferdinand nodded. The Angkols were nothing but a fly on their food, ready to be shooed away or swatted. Tartaros would easily take care of them.

"We can take care of them. Have more faith in our ability. But I trust that you know where your objective is?" Ferdinand asked as he looked at the two mages.

Darren smiled slowly. This was going to be interesting especially if Ferdinand dropped a clue like he usually did. Taunting the enemy was so much fun.

"I never thought we would be going to the legendary mansion of the Burnholts. The birthplace of the Seff. Me and Selena can take care of it. Dont worry about us. Hahaha." Darren said as the two of them started to fade away.

Ferdinand smiled as he was left alone in his office. Everything was perfect. The group of Fairies hot on their trail and eager to stop them. It was always much more fun when that way. And he smiled as he thought of the summoning that was coming soon. This was too much fun!

**There is the chapter. Like I said above, check out my original story, "Steal Potatoes or Shoot". Well, we got to finish off U.N. Owen in this chapter and we see Darren and Selena in this chapter. We havent seen Selena's power yet but we have seen Darren in action and we know what he can do.**

**References: *Stoben means "Stop" in Angkolian.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and see you next time! FF**


	19. Nightmares are not Dreams

**This week has been tough. I have two tests tomorrow and had two today as well. If I am not too busy I will try to upload a new chapter for my original story AND upload my new FT side project.**

**If you have seen my profile recently, you will know about an individual known as "Drake the Defiler". He will be involved in the story as well but as a background character to add some historical touch to the story. Probably calling the story "To Solice and back". It may or may not be adventure oriented (think about Indian Jones) because I feel like too much action is confusing.**

**And I think I will include the rest of the info down below. I feel like my ANs are too long. **

_The Hohenheim Empire and the Angkol kingdom were officially at war. Warships were launched from the western continent and the Hohenheims were ready for the threat they faced. The guilds that lay within the empire were called upon to help defend their position and many mages had been enlisted into the ranks of the Hohenheim army. _

_Fairy Tail was particularly sought after and Gildartz had no choice but allow a few mages to be enlisted.. In the chaos, nobody even realized that this entire war was a setup. A devious plan masterminded by someone who was willing to watch millions die. Neither side even stopped to think and compromise as they marched off to war. This war was based on deception, misunderstanding and religion. In the future, it would be referred to as "The Clouded War"._

**Fairy Tail, 2 days after the return of Asura and Azami. **

It had been two days since the group had returned from Derlados. In those two days the group had split up, each responsible for tracking down the things needed to bring back the dead. A copy of the list was left in Fairy Tail for the group of mages to look at and study. But the group of mages couldnt bring themselves to look at it.

The guild was empty and somewhat quiet for once but it just didnt feel like Fairy Tail. Azami and Asura were surprised when they returned to the guild to see that many of the guild members were gone. Gildartz had explained to them that he had been forced to enlist some of them in the Hohenheim army thanks to the war that was coming.

The guild, looking down on Magnolia, seemed like a shell. The wooden walls didnt seem to carry as many shouts, the lunch room only half way full and the guild gathering area with only a handful of people looking at the request board. Currently, the group of mages were looking at the list, trying to figure out where they needed to go. It was dark out and the government had ordered people to stay indoors.

"A piece of the infamous Seff..." Asura muttered as the group looked over the list, candlelight in the room at Fairy Hills.

"Seff? I think I have heard of that before. Something in a history book..." Azami said as she reached for the wooden bookshelf and pulled out a large book bound with grey letter. The spine was crusty and the pages were dusty as Azami placed the book on the table. The title was "History of Fiore volume 34" and Azami opened it.

"Hmm... Seff..." Azami muttered as they flipped through the old pages and finally landed on a page that was titled 'The Burnholt Plague and the Seff'.

The group looked through the pages for a while and read. They learned that the Seff was a parasite that lived within its victims that fed off the life force of their victims, making them seriously sick. It was apparently the child of Anastasia from Hell and the last time it was seen...was the Burnholt Manor...

"Well, we know where to go now. Lets get some sleep. We're going to need it." Asura sighed as he climbed into one of the three beds that were in the largest dormitories of Fairy Hills.

Azami blew out the light and climbed into her own bed and Raymond just sighed and followed. But Raymond couldn't sleep, he could only stare up at the ceiling. But eventually, he fell into a deep sleep.

_?_

Raymond suddenly woke up in a hazy area. It was simply a grey mist and Raymond looked around. Was this a dream? Where was he?

"Huh…I was in Fairy Hills just a second ago…." Raymond said as he looked around the grey haze.

He wandered around the haze for a while, wondering where he was until he finally saw something familiar. It was a bed, just like the one he had just been sleeping in at Fairy Hill. But then he stepped back when he noticed that there was someone sleeping in it. It looked…exactly like him! Raymond looked around his lookalike but noticed that his copy seemed to give off a massive amount of magical energy. Then he realized who was sleeping in the bed. It was Vincent.

"Whoa…" Raymond said as he walked around the bed, watching Vincent sleep.

Then he heard the voice. It was repeating something over and over again…

"Give it back….give back what you stole….give it back to me….please give it back to me…."

He had no idea that Vincent looked exactly the same as him! Raymond was about to walk away when suddenly he felt himself being pulled inside Vincent! Raymond felt himself being absorbed into Vincent's body and everything went dark again.

…

"Its that boy! Get him!"

Raymond opened his eyes to see that he was standing in the middle of a dirt pathway near some grassy fields. Ahead of him was an angry mob of people, holding various farm tools and glaring. But then Raymond noticed that he wasn't actually IN the area, he was simply floating. And underneath him was Vincent, looking at the group with glossy eyes. The angry mob quickly surrounded him and they jabbed at him with their farm tools.

"Dirty kid killed my livestock!"

"He stole some food from my house!"

"He is a demon! Just look at his eyes!"

Raymond looked at Vincent's eyes to see that one of them was blue and the other was red. But Raymond still didn't get the big deal. His eyes were different, so what? Two huge farm boys came walking up and they grabbed Vincent and threw him to the ground. Raymond grit his teeth in anger when he saw that.

"Hey! What are you doing that for!" Raymond shouted in anger as the huge boys start beating Vincent up.

All the while Vincent was crying out for help, holding out his hand to the citizens crowded around him but they all just laughed as Vincent was beat up into a pulp.

Then Vincent let out a scream and his fist flailed out, smashing into the knees of one of the farm boys. The farm boy suddenly let out a shout and he jumped back, grabbing his knee.

"Damn rat punched me! Hurt too!" he spat at Vincent as he grabbed a shovel from someone and held it over his head.

The other farm boy also brought out a club and the two advanced on Vincent, smirks on their faces.

"Your just a dirty street rat. You don't belong anywhere. We'll just smash you into a pulp!" they shouted as the swung their weapons.

Vincent held out his fist and suddenly the shovel one of the boys were carrying suddenly bent in half and dropped to the ground, bursting into flame. The club suddenly reared back and smashed itself into the face of the wielder and the boy fell back, grabbing his face and screaming. Raymond gasped as Vincent slowly stood, a sickening smile coming to his face.

"You wont be hurting me anymore. No, I will be the one hurting you." Vincent said softly as a man ran up to him, sledgehammer swinging.

The man suddenly gasped and his body started to float in the air. And then the man started to choke. The man's face turned blue and then the body went limp and Vincent threw the body away like a toy. He raised his fist and several shots of electricity fried the people in the crowd like fish. Fear over coming them, the crowd charged, all weapons out. Vincent was engulfed in the crowd of people and so was Raymond.

…

Raymond later found himself in a cell. A prison cell, iron bars surrounding him. Dim torchlight lit up the cell but barely. He looked around and saw Vincent, bloody and handcuffed with chains that glowed dark red. Raymond was still trying to understand what was going on. Vincent…had not been a mage before? But then he learned his powers?

His attention was diverted as a door opened from within the jail and in came a man wearing a olive colored t-shirt and cargo pants. He had several rings in his right ear and he had a knife stuck into his belt. He produced a small silver key and fit it into the lock that kept the cell closed and the cell door slid open smoothly. The man snapped his fingers and Vincent suddenly began to cough. The small child slowly raised his head, his eyes red with tears and blood. The man chuckled.

"A child of evil, a child of mine. Get up kid. You still have a part to play." The man said smoothly.

"Who are you…" Vincent whispered weakly to the man.

Raymond was nodding his head. He too wanted to know who this man was. Where were they first of all? Everything was moving too fast. Was this Vincent's past or a dream he was having?

"You can call me Parson. You could say that I'm your dad." The man said as Vincent slowly got up and stumbled out the cell, his dirty rags soaked with red blood.

Parson tried to ruffle Vincent's hair but he pushed the man away.

"I don't need a father who abandons his child to the streets." Vincent growled, tears coming from his eyes.

Parson grabbed the kid's arm. He tried to pull away but Parson was too strong. He looked Vincent in the eyes and Raymond could see his eyes, dark and without any light. A chill went down Raymond's spine.

"You will need me where you are going." The man said darkly and with a flash, they were gone again.

**The Sanctum**

The next area Raymond found himself in was a large stone chamber like a cave with a huge roaring fire in the middle. He looked around to see several women in different colored robes sitting around the fire. Some wore white, some black and others grey. But what stood out was the fact that Parson and Vincent was standing IN the fire. Raymond looked around the stone chamber, amazed by it. Where were they? The stone walls were perfectly smooth and had carvings along it, showing people and things. But his attention was shifted once an old woman started speaking. She wore a white robe and was much older than the other women.

"Vincent…it has been a long time." The woman said warmly.

Vincent cried out and tried to run away but Parson's grip was firm.

"No! No! What are you things! Ahhhh!" Vincent screamed as his eyes widened in terror.

One of the other women scoffed. Her face was covered by a white hood but she spoke with a bitter voice.

"The only one you should be afraid of is that beast Jackson." She said, spitting the name out like it was poison.

Parson raised his hand and smiled. Vincent continued to try to get away from the group.

"Peace Kirinfer. I have only come to fulfill Life's demand. I will join Gastinfer soon." Parson sighed as Life nodded and looked at Vincent.

The old woman raised her hand and slowly stood. She looked at the child with intensity and her eyes seemed bore straight through his body.

"You are very lucky Vincent. Never has there been a male god among the goddesses. But we are short a goddess. Evil has been exiled for her attempts to overthrow me. So, you Vincent, child of Evil, have been chosen to become the first male god." Life said seriously to Vincent.

Raymond was beyond confused. First male god? Was this all real? Was he in heaven or hell? His head was starting to hurt and he suddenly got a pounding headache. But Vincent calmed down. He looked at the old woman with interest and suspicion.

"God? Are you all…goddesses then?" Vincent asked suspiciously, his different colored eyes narrowing.

All the women in the room nodded and Vincent sighed and looked up at Parson.

"What is your role then? Are you the messenger?" Vincent asked the man.

"Silence boy. You will do as Life tells you or return to a life of torture and hate." Parson snapped.

Life nodded and came closer to the fire and reached through to touch the boy's forehead. Her ancient face smiled as she looked at the child.

"If you can survive a lifetime of being bound to a neutral and good soul, you will become the god of Evil. Fail and you will return to a dark life." Life said to him.

Vincent let out a sigh. Never again would he return to a life of rejection and pain. This was his chance to take revenge! Yes! It was time for revenge! Vincent looked at the old woman and he smiled deviously.

"Well then, looks like I have no choice but to accept."

…

And then Raymond slammed awake, still looking up at the ceiling of the dormitory. It was morning and soft sunlight streamed in from the window. Azami and Asura were making breakfast and Raymond noticed that he had sweat all over the bed. But the scenes he had seen lingered in his mind. What did they mean?

**?**

"Septimus….vilcor…Junifel!"

The group of black cloaked individuals stood around a stone coffin. Purple waves radiated from the coffin and it seemed to shake with every spoken word. There were only 3 people standing around the coffin. Jack, Ferdinand and Bael. The others were gone on missions or dead. It had been a strange road but their efforts had finally paid off. There was a simple locking mechanism on the coffin and it clicked open and the stone lid of the coffin slid off and out reached a hand. The group held their breath as a figure climbed out. Black hair, wearing bloodstained robes and two wooden stakes in his hands. His eyes were empty looking as he turned to look at the three mages.

"You have summoned me. What is thy prayer."

**Long chapter with A LOT of foreshadowing. I hope you guys liked this. I finished it pretty late and I hope you guys can review this and the other story I have out as well as the second chapter of my original story. **

**I feel so productive today. This was a weird day and I cant help but feel happy that it is almost Friday. Anyways, thanks for reading and see you later! FF**


	20. Burnholt returns

**A sort of short of short chapter involving Darren and Selena. The ending of the school week can always be the busiest day of the week. I will post a better chapter tomorrow I promise. Writing has been difficult lately because of dropping inspiration but hopefully that can be changed as the weekend goes by. I also watched "The Walking Dead" (cleverly called "The Running Alive" by a friend) and I found it very good. Anyways, that aside, here is this little trailer I should say?**

**Burnholt Manor, early morning**

The once grand mansion of the Burnholts had fallen into disrepair after the death of Gregory Burnholt and the once famous family faded from history. But the legacy of Anastasia still remains. The mansion had collapsed within itself but parts of the interior still remained. Most of the back of the house remained but the front was completely destroyed and small forest had grown around the mansion, hiding it from view.

A group of Rune Knights guarded the mansion at all times, one of the few groups of Rune Knights that were reinstated. However, they didn't see the two figures coming towards the mansion in early morning. The two figures moved slowly and eventually, the two Rune Knights guarding the front of the mansion suddenly noticed the two and drew their swords.

"Stop! This is a prohibited magical site!" one of the knights said.

The two figures stopped and looked at the Rune Knight and the knight put his sword back into its scabbard. They were just children, nothing to be worried about. That's when Darren struck. The ground underneath the two Rune Knights suddenly cracked open to reveal nothingness. The two knights fell through the hole into an abyss, screaming. However their screams attracted the other Rune Knights guarding the house and they came rushing, swords and magic ready to fight. They caught sight of the two children and did not hesitate to fight. Many charged forward with their swords.

Darren grinned as the knights charged forward. They were so predictable.

"Fissure!" Darren shouted as the ground cracked open and the knights fell down into the abyss like the other two knights.

However that wasn't the end as the knights who could use magic started to use it. Within seconds, Darren and Selena were trapped behind a box of black runes. Darren looked around the box with a grin on his face.

"Rune magic? That is pretty impressive for some lowly knights like you. Oi, Selena. Sort these guys out, they're more your style." The teenager said to the young girl standing next to him.

"Of course. These magical rules mean nothing to me! White Wash!" the girl said as the runes around them suddenly gave of white flashes of light as they disappeared and then white liquid poured over the knights, turning them into statues made of marble.

The young girl seemed pleased with their handiwork and the two advanced forward. It was a privilege to visit the home of the infamous Anastasia and they would be looking for something that was very precious to her. They would be sure to leave offerings when they left. The two young children made their way over the wreckage that had once been a grand mansion and made their way into the back of the manor.

**Babylon Station**

"The train is leaving…the train is leaving." The loudspeaker said as Raymond, Asura and Azami stepped off the train at Babylon.

It was a bit early in the morning and Raymond was still sleepy as the group went into the city. The city of Babylon was a very famous tourist attraction as there were many ancient ruins there from the old days. Even in the early morning, hordes of tourists wandered the city, looking at all the ancient houses and buying things from stores. It was also the city where the Burnholt Manor had once stood. Many tourists ventured out into the forest to catch a glimpse of the legendary manor and some daring tourists took pieces of the mansion when Rune Knight patrols went by.

But Raymond and his friends were not interested in sightseeing. They had come to visit the manor and where about to go when a familiar voice stopped them.

"Azami! Asura! Hey there!"

The group turned and Azami went red in the face as they saw Tadaaki Ryuusaga running through the crowd of tourists. He was dressed in his military clothing but it had a large brown stain on it. His many medals dangled from his chests as he came to greet the group. From behind him came a woman who was dressed in dark navy blue robes and was looking at Tadaaki like she was annoyed. She wore and eye patch and was a new face.

Raymond and Asura said hello while Azami just mumbled through it. Raymond pointed to the stain on Tadaaki's uniform.

"What is that?" the young boy asked bluntly.

The general looked down at his uniform and looked up while Asura and Azami glared at Raymond. The general shot the woman with the eye patch an annoyed look.

"This is a coffee stain. You can thank my friend Lucia for giving this to me on the way here." Tadaaki said, obviously annoyed with the woman.

"No, you can thank yourself for that, deido*. I f you hadn't suddenly jumped into the air I would not have spilled it on you!" she said indignantly.

The general frowned and looked back at the group of mages. The general was smiling and he seemed very out of place, a coffee stained general in a sea of tourists.

"So, what brings you to Babylon?" Tadaaki asked, friendly.

"We have business with the Burnholt Manor. Could we go there without a hassle? I heard it was added to the list of prohibited magical sites just last year." Asura said, looking worried.

Lucia nodded. As one of the three consuls, it was her job to make laws to protect the citizens. She reached into her robes and brought a few pieces of paper. She handed them to the group with a smile.

"I normally wouldn't give these to anyone besides military but Tadaaki says that you are trustworthy people and I believe you are on a top secret mission?" the woman said with a wink.

"Oh thank you!" the group said together as they accepted the papers with gratitude. They had a way into the manor now!

"Well, I have business with the army garrison here so I have to get going. See you guys later!" Tadaaki said cheerfully as he ran off into the crowd.

Lucia growled in frustration. That man sometimes made her want to tear out her hair.

"Get back here you idiot! Dang it. Im sorry for this short notice exit but I really have to go. Sorry!" Lucia apologized as she ran into the crowd after Tadaaki.

Raymond watched them go with interest. Azami was still burning red and Asura was laughing.

"What an odd couple." Raymond said.

"THEY ARENT A COUPLE!" Azami burst out which made Asura and Raymond look at her funny.

Azami quieted down from them on although her face was red as they headed for the forest. There sure were some busy people in this world.

…

The group had to walk through the forest for a while but they finally came up to where the mansion stood. But something was wrong….the ground was all torn up around the mansion and there were….marble pillars outside the manor? The group moved closer to the mansion, looking for Rune Knight patrols but they never came and eventually they walked up to the marble pillars. But they weren't pillars and everyone jumped back with a chill going down their spine.

Their facial expressions were too real, frozen in terror and anger. Their weapons were half drawn, their fists surrounded by some sort of weird ball and the symbol on their chests….the symbol of the Rune Knights.

"Who in the world….did this?" Asura gasped as the crows cawed in response.

**A good chapter I believe. This is a late thanks but I would like to thank LunarBlaze and Edward the Pure for helping create one of the most brilliant fanon pairings I have ever seen. LuciaxTadaaki. I also thank LunarBlaze again for giving me inspiration to write my own OCxOC oneshot series. Like I said, late thanks. Anyways, you got to see Darren and Selena in action and you also got to see Tadaaki and Lucia. **

**References: *deido means "idiot" in Garlan. Normally, Lucia would speak in "English" but because she is a consul and all official documents are written in Garlan, she had to learn the language and she sometimes put Garlan words with her ordinary speech. **

**The consuls wear navy blue to signal their position of power. The royal family are the only ones who can wear purple or wear, oddly enough, full leather armor. **

**Anyways, thanks to everyone who inspired me and I will see you all next time! FF**


	21. Earth Bound

**Just a fun fact here: Darren and Selena are not as young as you think they are. Their magic is very unique and Darren is especially cool. **

**Today seems to be the slowest day in a while which is good and bad. Sorry about the slow updates for Ravens have tails, I am having pretty bad writers block for it. Also, I am planning on finishing up my original story tonight. I have no idea where I will go from there.**

**Oh yeah, I also haven't used this system in a while. If you read my "Story" series, then you will see me refer to mage levels as "V1, V2, V3 or Full Potential". That refers to personal growth and it corresponds to D, C, B, A, S, SS and SSS level mages. Also, Raymond is technically a "white mage" because he is still a "V1" mage and he has not chosen a specific path to go down.**

**In other words, Raymond can use any sort of magic but very weakly. The same thing went with Malice but she stayed a white mage throughout her life even when she reached Full Potential which is very rare.**

**Anyways, here is the chapter. I am pretty excited, we have come to the middle of the story, reaching the most epic parts soon! Enjoy.**

**Burnholt Manor**

The group looked at the marble statues with fear growing in their minds. Had these statues always been here? Or were they recent? One thing was for sure, someone had used magic to freeze the soldiers. Whoever they were, they were powerful and they had come to the mansion, looking for something. Asura examined the marble with a frown on his face.

"The marble…it looks fairly new…" he murmured as he looked at Azami who just nodded her head.

"**Of course it is fools!" **Vincent roared at them from within Raymond's mind.

Raymond pointed to the mansion and he looked at Asura and Azami. The two mages looked over at the mansion, trying to see if anyone was inside. But the mounds of debris blocked their view besides a small cracked window that gave a small glimpse of the inside. Suddenly, something moved. The group gasped. There were people inside!

The group of mages ran up the slopes of debris, stumbling among all the trash and other pieces of broken material. They had to get to the back of the mansion!

**Inside the manor…**

Selena was pulling out pieces of debris from the huge room that had once been Anastasia's room. The room had mostly caved in besides the back part in which a shattered chandelier lay on the ground, crushing a skeleton and some sort of large bug creature that had long died. There was also another skeleton laying in the corner and the huge bed that once belonged to the girl was smashed against the wall. Debris filled the room and it looked as if no one had bothered to clean up. Darren was standing right next to his sister who was searching through the mess of debris.

Finally, the young girl gave a shout of joy as she reached into the mounds of broken wood and glass to pull out a chunk of what appeared to be yellowed jelly. It seemed like a piece of art eraser and the young girl showed it Darren who was silently watching.

"We found it Darren! We found a piece of the Seff!" Selena said excitedly as the piece started to get lighter and lighter until it disappeared into thin air.

Darren nodded as the piece vanished but then his eyes shifted to the side and he smiled.

"Fun." He said as suddenly there was a shout as a piece of the building suddenly smashed to the ground.

The two Tartaros mages turned to look at the hole in the roof where they had entered. There on top of the hill were Asura, Azami and Raymond. A piece of the building had collapsed near them, startling them all. Darren laughed and the group covered their ears. It was an unpleasant sound, filling their ears with a terrible laugh.

"Sehehehehe. You amateurs. Did you really think you could defeat someone like me? You travel on the ground and I hear all on the ground." Darren said wickedly as the group jumped down into the room.

"Damn it, we were too late." Asura cursed as Darren snickered.

The teenage boy with the thick chains wrapped around his body smiled and he looked at his sister who was standing beside him, looking at the group weirdly.

"I don't understand why you guys bother trying to catch up with us. Don't you understand that we are trying to help the world? We are trying to bring back the one man who will lead us all to salvation!" Selena explained as the group shook their heads and glared at the two black mages.

"You're wrong! You do evil things to resurrect a good man? Who knows if he is evil! You are all misguided! Azami! Raymond! Lets finish these guys!" Asura shouted as his fists were surrounded with fire.

The other two mages got ready to fight and the two Tartaros mage just looked at each other and shrugged. Selena held out her hand and soon, the entire room disappeared and only left the group of mages floating in an endless sea of blackness. Raymond and the others started to panic. Where the hell were they! Selena giggled and Darren just smiled.

"I used my magic to send the physical environment away. The room was too small for a fight that will surely be amazing. This plane has an infinite space and it really gets rid of the distractions." Selena explained.

The group was calming down when suddenly, the black abyss changed into…hundreds of eyes. They stared up at the group, watching and never blinking. Darren laughed at the shouts that the group let out when they saw the eyes.

"That was me. You stand on the ground and I watch everything on the ground. You cant escape from us when I can watch you everywhere you go!" Darren laughed crazily as the group just held their ground and tried to calm themselves.

"Lets take them down! For Fairy Tail!" Raymond shouted as he ran forward with his two friends behind them.

They already had a strategy planned out and they all attacked Darren at once. They completely ignored Selena and their attacks hit Darren dead on. There was an explosion and a scream of pain as Darren fell back onto the ground, bleeding and burned everywhere. The black mage somehow managed to stand even with chains wrapped around his body and he glared at the group. His face was burned and he was bleeding from his arm and the black cloak was dotted with blood. Selena looked at her brother and nodded.

"You'll be fine." She said calmly as she smiled at the group.

"Damn right I will!" Darren suddenly laughed as the burns and injuries started to go away.

Within seconds, Darren looked as if he had never even been attacked. His skin was undamaged, his face not burned at all and he seemed to be fine. The group took a step back in surprise.

"H…how in the world…" Azami gasped as Darren let out his terrible laugh again.

The teenager looked at the group, his eyes staring into each of their skulls. He continued to laugh and finally revealed his terrible secret.

"You fools! Do you really think any attack that you throw at me will hurt me while I stand on the comfortable earth? I am Earth Bound! Any injuries I suffer from your pathetic attacks will be healed almost instantly! Your magic is useless against me!" Darren laughed, this time his laugh echoed off the darkness and filled the entire space.

The group grit there teeth. Damn it! They were in a tight spot. Any attack they used was useless! The power of the Earth Bound!


	22. Spirit Breaker

**The weeks seem to be getting worse and worse for writing. This week is really not a good week to write and I am afraid that posts will seem uninspired because I have 3 big tests this week with one tomorrow. I might just double update but the second update will be the first chapter of my next original story "They call me Ironside".**

**Anyways, after uploading a bunch of stuff yesterday I feel sort of burnt out as well. Also go check out my second one-shot if you haven't already. This chapter we will see a bit more of Selena and Darren. Honestly, Selena's magic is very…unique and complex. It was originally supposed to negate the effects of Rune Magic as was seen in the fight against the Rune Knights but then I added a twist. You will see what I mean. **

**Also, here is an easy way to classify the Tartaros members. These are terms from the anime MAR by the way. In the anime MAR, the enemies were divided into several classes with the names of several chess pieces (the enemy organization was called The Chess Pieces).**

**U.N. Owen and Gin were high level Rooks.**

**Darren and Selena are high level Bishops or low level Knights. There is a huge jump from the other two to these two. **

**Bael, Jack and Ferdinand are high level Knights. **

**Here is the chapter. Enjoy. **

They were certainly in for hell. Any attack that went towards Darren was completely useless because he would just heal himself! But then Asura realized what they could do. If they got him into the air…he couldn't heal! This was it! Azami must have realized what was going as well because she nodded at Asura. Raymond was also looking around the black area they were in. It all seemed very familiar. The air that was around them, the way certain words would echo around and even the eyes on the ground were familiar.

Raymond grabbed his head. This was all too weird. He had seen to many strange things in so little time. It was a burden to Raymond and he tried to concentrate on the task that was at hand. Soft purple light surrounded his fists and he tried to make himself useful without calling on Vincent. After what he had seen, he wasn't sure if Vincent was a good idea anymore. Perhaps he could isolate one of the two…

Asura and Azami ran forward and Raymond felt his weariness disappear as he aimed his magic towards Selena and fired. The purple runes shot across the air and soon the small girl was trapped in a box made of swirling runes. Darren was not as lucky. The teenage boy had been too slow to move and Asura's flaming fist had smashed into his chin, sending the boy flying up into the air. This was they needed to start tearing the boy apart. Asura smashed another fist into Darren as the boy was sent flying into the air and Azami soon followed, slashing with her spirit swords. The teenage boy shouted in pain as visible wounds started to form and even blood dripped from his nose as the boy glared down at the two mages. Meanwhile, Selena looked at the box she was trapped in. She put her hand out and then let it drop to her side. She looked at Raymond with a blank look.

"Oh, a white mage. How disappointing. I thought you would be some sort of incredible wizard seeing how you defeated Gin and U.N. Owen. I can defeat these runes easily. But you better pay attention to Darren little boy." Selena giggled as Raymond shifted his attention to the teenage boy who had just landed on the ground.

Darren had several visible wounds, bruises, cuts and a very bad bloody nose. But the teenage boy just wiped the blood away and grinned as he watched as Asura and Azami jumped away. To the group's surprise, the wounds healed anyways! Even though the wounds had been sustained in the air, as soon as he touched the ground, they healed. Just how strong was he? Darren looked as the last cut healed and looked at the group.

"It doesn't matter if you tear me apart in the air. As soon as I land, good as new." Darren laughed as the others glared back at the group.

Tear me apart. Those words rang in Azami's head. She clenched her fists and she looked down at the ground, trying not to shudder at those horrible looking eyes that watched their every move. She did have a move that could defeat Darren but…could she use it successfully? Would it even work? She had never just used it, she only knew of its existence.

Selena looked at the group with interest. She was especially interested in Azami. The young girl came as far as the runes would allow her to go and looked at Azami, interest in her gaze.

"Your magic, it is very peculiar. I have heard of a place in which mages use souls as a means of fighting but never have I seen it happen before my very eyes. You will be an interesting opponent. But for now, I will sit behind these runes and let my brother have his fun with you." Selena said as she observed as Darren smirked at the group.

The group was still uneasy though. Their plan had failed and Darren had proved to be a difficult enemy. But one thing was weird. Why did he have those chains wrapped around his body? All they did was limit the use of his hands and made defending himself impossible. Raymond took notice as well and he asked the teenager up front.

"Those chains, what are they for? They seem to be a burden to you and why would anyone need chains wrapped around their body?" Raymond asked the teenager, at the same time listening to the soft voice in his head.

The Earth Bound mage looked at the chains and he grinned. About time someone asked about them although these mages would probably have the good fortune of never witnessing the power the chains held back.

"You want to know about the chains? Well, those are just for decoration really." Darren said, lying through his teeth. Selena smiled at his lie. Darren smiled slyly and he looked at the group, his eyes seemingly looking at each other weaknesses. "But the chains don't stop me from attacking! Earth Bound's Chant!"

The group dove to the sides immediately, knowing that some sort of devastating attack was coming. But instead of something coming straight down the middle, it came from the sides! Jagged spikes made of stone shot out from the darkness and they slammed into the mages, making them scream in pain. But that wasn't the end. The spikes had sent the group flying back together and then, the true attack came. The spikes were only to herd the group closer in case they dove to the sides! From the black abyss they were standing on, a huge slab of rock rose from the ground and extremely sharp spikes grew from it. The slab moved forward at an incredible speed and the group screamed and they ran as fast as they could. Meanwhile, Darren laughed as the group ran for their lives.

'I am going to die!' Raymond screamed to himself as they ran from the rock slab that was coming their way.

"_Then let me help you! I have power that can easily get rid of the slab!" _Julius shouted.

Raymond let out a scream of approval as the group continued to run and Azami realized what they had to do. She had to use a move she had never tried before. Asura shouted to his two friends.

"We cant keep running from this thing! Anyone have an idea?" he shouted as they ran for their lives as the stone slab kept coming down the lane created by the stone spikes that seemed to go on forever.

Raymond nodded and Asura saw Azami nod. Asura shouted as they ran.

"Well then go for it!" he shouted as Raymond turned and faced the wall of spikes.

The wall of rock and spikes was speeding towards them and Raymond let out the shout that would be his last or his salvation.

"Denial magic! Rock slab!" Raymond shouted as the rock slab suddenly disappear and so did the stone spikes.

That was when Azami made her move. She ran forward and called forth a move she had never used.

"Spirit Make! Spirit Breaker!" she shouted as a huge axe appeared in her hand.

The axe was at least five times Azami's size and the handle was made of pure ivory with a copper blade that was a shiny brown color. Azami surprisingly swung it with little difficulty and the axe head caused a wave of white to shoot forward when it slammed into the ground. The wave travelled incredibly fast, completely severing Darren's body in half as the wave past.

Azami and the others gasped in horror as bloody sprayed from Darren's cut down the middle body and Selena had a look of shock on her face as well. The two halves of Darren's body fell to the ground, the blood oozing from the chopped pieces. But, to everyone's amazement and horror, the body started to piece itself back together. Bit by bit, Darren reformed, grinning at the group. Also, the chains that were around his body, they were cut and Darren's arms hung loose at his sides. The Earth Bound mage grinned at the them deviously.

"Oh that was a terrible mistake."

**Sorry for the abrupt ending, I have to do something soon. I hope you guys liked the chapter. FF**


	23. Allies join the fight

**Ahhhh….rough day. Nothing I can really say besides that. This week, like I said before, is a very tough week. I cant really say that I am too open right now. Even one-shot ideas are on a down low and original story? Forget it. Maybe my mood will be back to normal once I finish this chapter. **

**And as much as I would like to watch more Father Ted videos or write some sort of new amazing chapter, all I can really leave you guys with is this. **

**You can practically see the writer's block setting in. But the writer's block is the worst for Ravens have tails and Dragon's Myth, I just don't want to rush it. To Solice and back will be worked on tomorrow, my original story might get a new chapter and you guys get this for now. **

**You can safely say that we have come to the middle of the story. Anyways, here is the chapter, enjoy. **

…

Darren's body started to reform and the body was soon repaired, Darren looking good as new. The teenager looked at Azami, a cocky grin on his face.

"You are quite strong little girl. But do not think that I, one of the Earth Bound, will be defeated by a simple girl!" Darren shouted as pieces of chain dropped onto the ground.

The teenager moved his arms around, looking at his hands and as he did so, the ground moved, peculiarly. The ground seemed to rise up as he moved his hands! Azami, Asura and Raymond felt themselves become unbalanced and they struggled to keep themselves upright as the teenager clenched a fist and suddenly spikes shot out from the ground in front of them. Darren cocked his head to the side as he looked at his hand.

"Ah, I see. It has been a while since I have used my power as the Mazimo Terra. This will take some getting used to but it will be hell for you!" Darren shouted as he flung his arms every which way.

The result was devastating. The ground moved to his every will, smashing Azami against invisible walls, floors and ceilings. It was if someone had placed invisible objects! The ground quickly grew arms and they grabbed Azami and flung her far away. The teenager nodded in satisfaction as he turned his attention to Asura. The teenager clenched both fists and the ground folded up on Asura, making the flame mage scream in pain as the ground created a vice around him, crushing Asura. Raymond quickly concentrated on the earth vice and it quickly turned to dust but it reformed in a split second and Raymond soon found himself in the stone hard grip of a hand of stone.

"There we go! I still have the hang of things! I think your friend isn't too badly hurt. I can already see her running towards us." Darren laughed as Selena rolled her eyes.

Suddenly Raymond felt pain flash through him as he was smashed into the ground and Asura was thrown into the air and smashed backwards, hitting Azami with full force, sending the two mages flying back and skidding onto the ground. Raymond was about to get up but then he felt himself being picked up by Darren himself. The teenager looked at the small child with disgust.

"Eck…I can see the darkness all over you. You are a fool. How can anybody be this foolish?" Darren laughed as he smashed his fist into Raymond, making the child cry out in pain.

Darren punted the blonde haired boy like a football to where Asura and Azami were standing. Raymond landed with a painful shout and Asura and Azami helped him stand. Suddenly there were a group of white flashes where Selena was standing and the dark purple runes disappeared. The young girl frowned and looked around the darkness.

"What in the world…how could anyone…"

"Asura! Azami! Raymond! Can you hear us! This is Tadaaki and Lucia!" shouted a voice from the darkness.

"Yes! We can! Can you help us?" shouted Azami.

"Im not sure! Hold on, I think Lucia knows something!" Tadaaki's voice shouted from the darkness.

Darren growled and Selena balled up her fists. How in the world had they gotten through to the Dark Realm? The young girl looked at Darren who nodded his head towards the Fairy Tail mages.

"Just let me finish them off first. Then we can take care of those idiots." Darren said as he nodded upwards and took off running.

Azami created a sword in her hand and Asura's fists burst into flame. Raymond also got ready to use the power Julius had given him. The teenage dark mage ran quickly, sending huge stones flying towards the group who easily dodged them. Azami slashed with her sword as Darren passed and Asura quickly followed up with an attack that sent the dark mage flying into the air.

"Just make sure nothing of him remains! Fires of the Forge! Inferno Raiser!" Asura shouted as flames caught onto Darren's cloak and engulfed him in flame.

"Spirit Make! Holy Swords of the Spirits! 1000 Strike!" Azami shouted as hundreds of swords made of wispy light shot into the flames.

"Air to arrows!" Raymond shouted as the air around the ball of fire that was Darren suddenly turned into a hail of arrows that shot downwards towards him.

All three attacks hit dead on and there was a terrible scream as the fireball smashed into the ground and exploded. At that exact moment, Selena struck. She knew that Darren could possibly be in danger, especially if that girl used her Spirit Breaker again.

"White Wash!" she shouted as white liquid splashed all over the blaze that had surrounded Darren and the group jumped back although Asura and Azami got some of the liquid on their clothes.

The fireball, once being covered by the white liquid, revealed a ball of marble! Selena nodded in satisfaction as she walked up the ball of white rock. Asura and Azami were shocked to see that the droplets of white liquid were hardening into marble! Selena giggled as she looked at the looks of shock on everyone's face.

"You may have been wondering what I was all about after fighting my brother for so long. My brother is an Earth Bound but I am just a normal mage. I was not deemed strong enough to become an Earth Bound. However, the Earth Mother gave me a magic that combined the powers of stone and the Earth Bound although not as powerful. White Wash, the magic that can turn anything it touches into stone and can bend the rule of almost any concept." Selena explained as she tapped the ball of marble that was her brother.

The ball of marble suddenly shook violently and a hole from the center of the ball cracked open to reveal an eye and the group shuddered as they moved back. Suddenly, the ball of marble seemed to crack in half and out stepped Darren, unharmed. However, the teenager looked different. He seemed more alive, unlike the sleepy teenager they had fought just a few minutes ago. Darren held out his arm towards the broken pieces of marble and they formed a halberd made of wickedly sharp steel. He pointed the spiked tip at Azami and he grinned.

"Oh you think you are so strong, cutting me in half and stabbing swords into me. But let me tell you girl, you are out of your league!" Darren shouted as the two mages ran towards the group.

The halberd cut into Azami's arm as she tried to move out of the way and Darren smashed the butt of the halberd into Asura's leg as he moved by so the flame mage let out a shout of pain as the halberd's metal axe head smashed into Asura's shoulder as he dropped to his knees. Blood flooded from their wounds and Darren looked pleased with himself as he rested the weapon against his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Selena was fighting Raymond, the young boy keeping the female black mage at bay with his denial magic. Selena would continuously send her ominous pure white liquid splashing towards Raymond and the boy would have to react very quickly in order to avoid it. A single splash could mean the end. And then, Selena created something out of thin air. It had multiple barrels and a trigger. She aimed the gun at Raymond and he prepared to use his magic.

Selena fired the gun and the bullets shot towards Raymond with blinding speed and Raymond successfully turned the bullets backwards but it was too late! Selena had used the gun as a distraction! The white liquid first blasted on Raymond's legs and then onto his left arm. The liquid hardened immediately and Raymond let out a terrifying scream as he fell back, his legs and left arm completely crusted by marble. Selena stood over the young child, emotion void from her eyes and she held out her hand to him.

"This is the end. White Wash! Bend the rules of this miserable child's life!" Selena shouted.

Suddenly, there was a flash and then, they were back. They were back in the ruined room of Anastasia and Selena realized that her magic had been negated for a split second, enough to bring them back from Dark Realm!

"I don't think so."

Darren and Selena whipped around to see Tadaaki and Lucia standing behind them, on top of the pile of debris that was piled on the roof. They glared down at the two Tartaros mages.

"Just what do you think you are doing."

**This is the longest fight I have written by far. This fight is probably 3-4 chapters long. Most likely because there are two people to fight and because they are so strong. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. FF**


	24. Chokehold

**Today was a very busy day because I had lessons, homework and I have a band concert later today. There was also some paintwork going on in the house so that just made it that much more hectic.**

**Anyways, we will be finishing up the fight in this chapter and perhaps the next but then, we get into a nice chapter after that. As for one shots, I dont know. I have a TadaakixLucia, a Prussia x Hungary and surprisingly, I have a sort of depressing Julius pairing. **

**But here is something cool. Keep an eye on a few characters that have not been getting much mention. They are important, Edolas is all I can say about it.**

**But for now, lets get onto the story. We are heading to the end of this long fight.**

"Fah! Dragon Slayers and Consuls! None can stand the wrath of the Earth Bound!" Darren roared as the ground from underneath Tadaaki and Lucia exploded and the two mages were forced to leap into the room.

Now there were five mages fighting against two Tartaros mages. Selena looked at the two necomers with interest. Never in her long life had she seen someone break through the Dark Realm. Selena pointed to Lucia.

"You there, how did you break through the Dark Realm?" the little girl asked, curious to know what sort of power Lucia had.

The consul pointed to her eye patch. Using her Eye of Truth had consumed a lot of her power and she didn't know if she could contribute to the group. However, Tadaaki seemed to be ready to fight, his grin showing how eager he was to fight. The Fairy Tail mages were no doubt tired by their fights beforehand but there was no way they could quit now!

"My eye patch covers my left eye. An ability I have is to see the truth, through any fog or mist you may use. Locating you within the Dark Realm was easy once I searched far enough." Lucia said, trying to sound like she wasn't tired out.

Selena nodded slowly and looked at Darren who was closing his eyes. This was a bad sign. Had they angered Julius? This room was a hazard to Darren and there were many things that could be used to defeat him… The Earth Bound mage's eyes snapped open and in almost a split second, the second battle had begun. He made a fist and rock exploded through the room, sending everyone scattering. Perfect. Darren then quickly swung his legs and watched with satisfaction as Asura and Raymond were smashed into the ground. He then swung his right arm, watching Azami being forced back and was about to complete his vicious cycle with his left arm when suddenly a fist smashed into him so hard, his skin tore and bloody splattered across the floor as the teenager dropped like a stone.

Tadaaki stood over him, breathing hard, having dodged several pillars of rock but he had been successful. The dragon slayer thought the fight was over but was shocked when the teenager slowly stood up, the skin on his face repairing and the teenager grabbing Tadaaki's clothes and pulling him in, whispering viciously into the general's ear.

"Remember that you are mortal."

There was a flash of light and suddenly Darren's head was gone. Tadaaki stepped back, gritting his teeth and breathing hard. Had it really taken that much power to take him down or was the enemy that strong? Selena smiled slyly as he watched Darren's head regrow from the neck. Fools will always be fools. None of them had realized that Selena and Darren were slowly sapping their magic power by repeatedly being attacked. Tadaaki took another step back, just what was he! He had used his dragon's roar to completely sever his neck but…the head grew back!

"What in the world are you! A demon from Hell no doubt!" Tadaaki shouted as he quickly jumped back to join his friends.

Darren cracked his neck and he nodded to Selena. It was time to get serious. This group of mages were getting annoying.

"You cant harm me as long as I touch the ground. The earth has always been my protector! It is time Selena! The earth goddess calls us!" Darren shouted happily as Selena nodded.

Everyone took steps back as they anticipated a serious attack. All the while Raymond was receiving medical care from Lucia. She had managed to free one of Raymond's legs but Raymond was having some sort of mental battle of his own.

"_You are close to victory! Do not let them attack you with their final attack! This room has an object that will help you win against the vile earth bound! The chandelier! Use it hang the earth bound where he is the weakest! The air!" _Julius shouted encouragingly.

Suddenly Raymond was seized in a moment of terrible panic. What if they were too late? What if they couldn't even move Darren! Suddenly Raymond let out a terrible wail.

"The chandelier! Use the chandelier! Hang the earth bound from the sky!" Raymond wailed as images ran through his mind.

Scenes of happiness, scenes of victory, scenes of terror and scenes of sadness. They were all there. In his mind. Why was this happening! Finally, Lucia broke through the marble and Raymond's legs were free and she set on working on the various other places where Raymond had been hit. The other mages had taken Raymond's words and formulated a plan. The mages surrounded the two Tartaros mages and they prepared to fight. Tadaaki walked down the middle, his hands glowing with white light. All his energy would be going into this attack. Raymond felt his arms come free and he quickly stood up, looking at the group, dazed.

Tadaaki started to run and as he did, the terrible moment came. Selena and Darren were standing next to each other and Darren placed his hands on Selena's head. They were surrounded by a brown glow and then, the attack came.

"The Earth Bound's Final Sacrifice!" the two shouted as Selena raised her hand and a straight blast of rock smashed into him.

The rocks struck him repeatedly but the group of mages were prepared for such an event! They all started to transport their magical power into Tadaaki. The process was exhausting but they managed to power the dragon slayer enough that he got through the attacks and he causally threw Selena to the side, blood dripping down Tadaaki's face. Only a few minutes until overdrive….

Tadaaki had taken a tremendous risk by going through with the risky plan. The remaining powers of all the Fairy Tail magic had all been transferred to Tadaaki, resulting in an overdrive. It was a magical condition that activates when a mage has overstepped the boundaries of his or her magical capability. The mage has only a few minutes to get rid of his incredible amount of magic or face immediate death. And Tadaaki intended to do just that. He smashed every attack he had onto Darren, each time his blinding glow slowly diminishing.

"A few more minutes!" Tadaaki roared as every attack hit Darren directly, the two mages enveloped in a blinding light.

Selena was slowly standing up and was about to attack when suddenly she was struck by a large metal shield and smashed into the wall, falling back. Paul stood before her, his armor polished and his sword sharpened. Lucia had used the remainder of her power to use Paul to defeat Selena and Raymond stood beside her. The young girl wiped away the dirt and dust and stood slowly, glaring at the group.

"Well then, a fight is what you truly want! White Wash!"

The wave of white water rose up from the ground and smashed into Paul, turning the knight almost entirely into marble and that is when Raymond jumped forward.

"Denial Magic! Normal Force!" Raymond shouted.

The ground where Selena was standing suddenly broke through and the Tartaros mage fell, screaming curses as every single piece of dirt, stone broke under her feet. Raymond fell back and Paul disappeared as Lucia and everyone else turned their attention to Darren and Tadaaki. The dragon slayer had his arms around Darren to create a chokehold.

"Get off me you vermin!" Darren shouted, trying not to look at the blinding light.

"Oh don't worry, I will be off you in just a second." Tadaaki said darky as he could literally see the countdown he had left to get rid of his excess magic.

The dragon slayer smashed his fist into Darren's chin, sending the Tartaros mage flying into the air. The glow had diminished as Tadaaki unleashed all his magic towards Darren in a single move, smashing the dark mage against the chandelier's chain. Tadaaki grabbed the chain and wrapped it around Darren's neck.

"Its over."

**There we go. Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was busy and I wanted to take a break. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. FF**


	25. Hangman's noose

**I just wanted to wrap up the fight today. The new chapter of Fairy Tail turned out to be a surprise, a god slayer among Saber Tooth. I was kind of hoping Babylon would have a chance to be revealed but I guess not. Like I said last chapter, Edolas. The reverse world has not really been touched to heavily in the fandom. I think I have mentioned Edolas once or twice in my stories with only 1 character from Edolas, Wales. **

**We are slowly heading towards the end of this story. Only Bael, Jack, Ferdinand and Snake Fang will be left after this chapter. And here we go!**

_The dark news had finally arrived. The Angkols had arrived to fight the Hohenheims. The first battle took place at logging camp near the port where they landed and ended in a horrible defeat for the Hohenheims. The Angkols easily outmaneuvered the Hohenheim forces and there was no mercy for those who were captured. The Angkols continued to advance forward and they were heading towards a town called "Rain Town". It is an important trade route and the Hohenheims have been ordered to defend it all costs. The mage army has been called into take on the Angkol threat and the mages can expect no mercy if captured. The outcome of the war seems uncertain._

**Tartaros HQ**

Julius slowly sank into a chair in the main hall of the Tartaros HQ. The HQ was not large, it was a medium sized building with a main hall with many chairs to sit at that had walls carved from yellowish rock. It was in the size of a rectangle and had many doors leading to sleeping areas and libraries. Ferdinand and the other guild members who were there sat in the chairs lining the table. Julius seemed to stare straight ahead, his eyes empty of all emotion or light. He looked like he did so long ago, black hair, slight tan and wearing white robes that were pristine. He held out his hand slowly in front of him and he looked at it.

"My soul….bring me my soul…." Julius murmured as Ferdinand and the others looked at each other.

"My lord, your soul is still in the process of being pieced back together. We only need two more ingredients." Jack said calmly.

Julius sat back, his face grim. This was his second time being brought from the dead. The first time, he had been in a weaker form. But now, he was much stronger than before, having had time to regain his strength in the land of the dead.

"Then I am no use to you. Whatever your plans may be, I have no power to stop them. You have cheated Death and Death is more than impressed with your perseverance*. Bring me my soul and I can help you do anything you wish." Julius said quietly.

Ferdinand looked at Julius, worry in his eyes. Had they been too early? To open the Void, you had to have perfect timing. Bael had better hurry….

"Do not worry my lord. When Bael returns with the last ingredient, we can piece your soul back together and we can rule the world the way you envisioned it." Ferdinand said, admiration growing in his eyes as Jack nodded.

Julius slowly nodded. His head ached and he was growing sleepy.

"Then let me sleep...just for a little while…" Julius said as he closed his eyes and his body stopped moving, sitting at the head of the table.

**A field near Rain Town**

They were waiting for the Angkols. The soldiers of the Blue Army sat in their positions, waiting. They knew what to expect. They had no fear, they were soldiers of the Garlan Empire! And as they spoke to each other in their tents, an army of mages marched to the field to back them up! The breeze was light and the green grass of the field would soon be stained in blood. The soldiers were sitting around the field when they heard the sounds of walking. They looked behind them to see a huge army of people carrying several different banners. Several of the soldiers pointed to them, naming the symbols they could recognize. The army was walking through the town, ready for battle.

"Saber Tooth!"

"That is Fairy Tail isn't it?"

"By the God Queen! It's Goliath!"

"The mages are here!"

The shouts soon had soldiers looking at the multiple banners coming their way and Hyde stepped out of his tent to greet the leader of the mage army. He had not been informed about who had been selected to head the magical army but he knew that he was a mage of great capability. A man riding a horse came into view and Hyde groaned when he saw who it was. Justinian Steiner. His snow white hair and his eyes like coal gave it away. He was dressed in armor, the symbol of the Order of the Arcane King** down the front. The army of mages stopped to meet with the regular army and Justinian dismounted to meet Hyde.

The two men met and Hyde held out his hand for a handshake. Justinian just waved it away and head straight for the tent. Hyde followed him. He was about to scold Justinian when the council chairman waved him away.

"Save your anger Evadeus we have bigger things to worry about. I expect that you will be leading the frontal charge?" Justinian said coldly as he looked over maps drawn out on a wooden table in the tent.

Hyde nodded slowly. Sometimes he wanted to strangle that man. His cold attitude, obvious hate towards the royal family and his snide remarks were getting on the bad side of Hyde.

"And where will you be?" Hyde asked, almost wanting the man to reply with 'the back, eating cheese and drinking fine wine, with your wife of course.'

Justinian looked up at Hyde and grinned. Oh the thoughts of royals. The chairman looked away from the maps and checked his armor for dents.

"Do not worry Hyde. I will not be in the back. I intend to lead the frontal charge with you. As much as I dislike you and your wife I will not stand aside and allow you to take all the glory. As the Grand Master of the Order of the Arcane King, I have a standard I must keep up." Justinian said as he looked at Hyde with a blank stare.

Hyde was about to reply when suddenly the shouts of men outside suddenly stopped them. The two men ran outside, Hyde already drawing his sword and Justinian just looking bored as he daydreamed of being fed exotic cheese and drinking fine wine. The symbols of Hamos were clear on the banners that were waving from the other side of the field. Hyde shouted for the soldiers to move into position and Justinian ordered his soldiers to move into line. Justinian looked distastefully at Hyde as he held his sword close to his heart and whispered into the steel blade.

"Praying to that wife of yours?" Justinian asked snidely as his heartbeat started to rise slowly in excitement.

"Shut it or I will slay thee immediately." Hyde growled back as Justinian smiled smugly to himself, touchy touchy.

Hyde raised his sword and the soldiers presented their rifles. His heart was beating wildly and he screamed the words out loud.

"Fire! Seik de Freik!" he screamed as the rifles fired and the soldiers shouted as they charged forward, bayonets fixed.

…

"A much better performance than I thought Darren and Selena. I am more than impressed. I must thank you for the time that you have given me to truly get the fires of war going. Lord Zeref, thank you for this chance, even if I am to be sacrificed like a pawn."

**Burnholt Manor**

Tadaaki stood there for a moment, hanging from the chain with Darren's neck wrapped in it. He glared at the teenage boy as the two hung there.

"What is your motive? Why is there any reason for you to fight us?" Tadaaki asked seriously.

The teenager started to laugh and his voice was hoarse. His hair was matted with sweat and blood as he spoke to the general with a voice that seemed to be taunting him.

"I'm just a pawn. Our motives are simple: successfully piece together a soul. The ingredients are all there. We only need two more…" Darren laughed.

Tadaaki nodded slowly. This was something Hitoshi would want to know when he got back. He was an expert on this stuff. Tadaaki tied more chain around Darren's neck and tightened it. The teenager didn't seem to mind at all.

"You have committed crimes against the Garlan Military and all the people it protects. You have contributed to the plots against her majesty Lidia and are responsible for the deaths of at least five Rune Knights. For these crimes, you shall hang." Tadaaki said as he grabbed both ends of the chain and pulled outwards and jumped downwards.

There was a barely audible snap and Darren's body hang limp from the chandelier's chain but then, his body seemed to change. The skin started to become greyish and it was seen to be turning to stone! The rock cracked and the entire body fell apart and crumbled to dust. Tadaaki looked at the group who was lying back on the ground, completely exhausted and he smiled.

"I need a break."

**Field near Rain Town**

The fighting erupted all around Justinian as he effortlessly made his way around the battlefield, killing Angkol soldiers with ease. Who knew war was so quick? Due to their belief that magic was heresy, they were completely lacking in mages. Knights will always fall to mages, no matter how strong. Suddenly a presence was felt. Justinian turned to look where the presence was coming. It was an old man, wearing a helmet and had a very long white beard with an eye patch covering his right eye. He wore a dark purple great cloak that covered his shoulders and made him appear large and intimidating. Justinian frowned at him.

"Who the bloody hell are you?"

The man just smirked. Finally, a mage worthy of his incredible power…

"They call me Purehito."

**Bam, chapter. I might have another one-shot to upload tomorrow. Expect a TadaakixLucia and an adventure/romance themed one-shot involving (my favorite couple so far) Mavis and David.**

**References: *When anything dies, they become property of Death and Death is unlike any other goddess. She is very lenient on who can cheat her and who cant. **

****The Order of the Arcane King is the Q'Rex equivalent to the Wizard Council besides the fact that the OAK only has 5 members including the Grand Master.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this! FF**


	26. A plague upon both

**A short chapter showing the fight between Hades and Justinian. I hope you guys all hate Justinian for being a total jerk to Hyde. I sort of planned it that way. Not a whole lot to say here besides the fact that I am tired. **

**Hades vs Justinian, go.**

The two men faced each other as men screamed around them. Justinian eyed the man with his usual bored expression. Hades stared back at Justinian, evaluating his strength. Hades was pleasantly surprised to see that Justinian possessed an unnaturally high magical power level. Then he realized what had happened to Justinian. The former Grimoire Heart guild master smiled as he spoke to Justinian.

"Ah I see. You are different than most mages I encounter. You have been…altered. You don't belong in this world do you? Your magical power, it is on a level never before seen. I expect a brilliant fight from you." Hades said as Justinian just scoffed.

"If you honestly believe that flattery will get you anywhere, you are wrong. But don't worry, I am sure that I can take care of you and not even take any damage." Justinian said as he put his fists in front of him.

Hades raised an eyebrow. He was going to fight him with his bare fists? This was a very strong or a very foolish man. Justinian quickly threw off his robes to reveal several scars going down his chest and a bandage wrapped around his chest and various parts of his body. Justinian nodded at Hades.

"Come at me*." He challenged, his voice full of energy.

Hades wasted no time in attacking Justinian. His fingers quickly formed into the shape of guns and he fired towards Justinian, the purple lights shooting towards Justinian. To Hades' surprise, Justinian punched straight through the bullets with no damage at all! Hades chuckled as Justinian put his fists back up, grinning.

"Such stamina and power with just your fists! Chain Magic!" Hades shouted as seal appeared in front of him and chains shot out, the grappling hooks wrapping around Justinian.

The Grand Master was fully prepared for such an event and he grabbed the chains just before they completely wrapped around his body. Hades swung the chains downwards, smashing Justinian into the ground but the Grand Master quickly broke free of the chains, disconnecting them with a single move. The fragments of chain turned to dust in Justinian's hands as he looked at Hades, disappointed.

"Is that rally all you have? I am more than disappointed." Justinian taunted as Hades growled in anger as he threw off his purple cloak and ran in for close ranged attacks.

Hades was very, very old. However, he moved with incredible speed and he was able to dodge Justinian's punches and kicks as Hades tried to engage him in close combat. Then Hades managed to connect a punch into Justinian's face. The mage flew back, pulling the ground up as he blasted into the range of several fighting soldiers. He quickly got up, effortlessly killed several Angkol soldiers and he jumped straight back into battle. He grinned as he dodged one of Hades' punches.

"A bit hypocritical isn't it? Fighting for those that reject magic as heresy?" Justinian said as he dodged and smashed his fist into Hades' chest.

The dark mage stumbled back, grabbing his chest. His punch, strong indeed. But Hades brushed it off like it was nothing. Hades looked at Justinian, his face neutral.

"I could say the same for you. Fighting for those you do not love. That is the biggest hypocrisy of all." Hades said as he made a seal with his hands.

Justinian closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He also formed a seal with his hands. A bright circle appeared in front of him.

"Amaterasu Seal! Formula 28!" Hades shouted as a series of circles appeared around Justinian.

Purple electricity started to crackle from it and Justinian anticipated the intense pain that was to follow. The electricity shot forward, arcing through Justinian's body. The Grand Master screamed in pain as he was thrown into the ground, smoke rising from his body. Justinian coughed up blood and he slowly stood, his hands clenched into fists.

"Nice trick you have there. Let me show you some REAL magic. God Magic! Equilibrium!" Justinian said as several tendrils of light shot forward towards Hades.

Hades shot at the tendrils with his bullet magic but the purple shots blasted straight through and Hades shouted in pain as the tendrils of light pierced through him and stayed there, burning through his skin. Justinian then made his move. Soon enough, massive amounts of shocks started to move through the tendrils and with each shock, Hades seemed to get weaker. Hades smashed his fist through the tendril and soon dark shadows started to creep up the light. Justinian quickly disconnected the line, his mind racing. Hades could counter everything he had used so far. So what was the secret to beating him!

There was not much time. Justinian needed to win the battle immediately or everything could be ruined. Justinian quickly made a seal and something appeared in his hand. Hades looked at it and chuckled.

"Do you really expect me to be defeated that easily? I used to lead one of the strongest dark guilds and I am not about to be defeated by some 'Grand Master'. Now, I think you know the importance of time. Ours is running out. Prepare to die. GRIMOIRE LAW!" Hades roared as a purple ball formed in his hand, growing large with each passing second.

And finally, Hades let the attack fly. The ball seemed to radiate all emotions of evil and the soldiers around them screamed in terror and ran, whether they were Angkol or Hohenheim. Justinian watched Grimoire Law approach, a shudder running through his body as he thought about what would happen to him if the spell he was about to cast failed. Justinian narrowed his eyes and concentrated. His life depended on it.

"By the light of all that is good….IMPULSI! KING'S BANE!" Justinian roared as a dark hazy light formed in his eyes and shots of dark grey light shot from his mouth and eyes at a rapid pace.

By the time Justinian had shot his spell, Griomire Law had made contact with him. The mage screamed in terrible pain as images of hate and desperation flowed around him and the ground he was standing on slowly eroded away to nothing and many people were killed along with plant life. Justinian felt his life being erased. Suddenly the intensity of the pain dropped. The dark purple mist he had been trapped in slowly faded away.

Hades took a step back in surprise. He…he survived Grimoire Law? That was impossible! Hades grit his teeth and prepared to fire again but then he noticed that Justinian was not where he had just been. Within a second, the Grand Master was standing right in front of Hades, his eyes still completely grey.

"Die."

The shot entered straight through Hades' head and the mage was blown back, knocking down anything in his way. There were several explosions as the dark mage was sent flying back and smashing into several things and Justinian's eyes turned back to normal. He brushed himself off and was about to return to the battle when he suddenly felt a terrible pain everywhere in his body. He collapsed to the ground, meeting eyes with a dead Angkol rifleman. His skin was terribly pale, blood still flowing from the slit in his neck and Justinian shuddered and he looked down at his own hand. It was turning pale. He coughed up blood and he groaned as he lay on his back, staring up at the stormy sky.

"Damn that Hades…a plague upon..his…gui**…" Justinian shuddered as more blood was coughed up and suddenly a face appeared above him.

It was Hyde and he quickly knelt next to the Grand Master and Hyde quickly called medics. Justinian could not speak, just think.

"Justinian! Justinian! You selfish idiot! What did you think you were doing!" Hyde shouted in anger as he wiped the blood from Justinian's face.

The Grand Master just smiled and he sighed. He grunted and was satisfied that his voice had returned.

"Mm…the battle…di…did we win?" Justinian asked, his voice weak.

Hyde slowly nodded and Justinian looked back up at the sky. Such folly was his. Justinian looked at Hyde, his face pale.

"A plague…upon BOTH your houses…" Justinian said as medics came and lifted him off the ground, his body hanging limp as Justinian laughed crazily as the medics took him away.

"A plague upon both of your houses!**" Justinian shouted, his voice carrying through Hyde's mind.

What had they done.

**This was a nice way to show just how strong Justinian is. Hades is also strong as well. Whether or not Hades is dead is up to you guys. He may or may not be dead. Anyways, references:**

***I had to include this line. It fit well but I had to take out "bro" because it sounded stupid if a character like Justinian said it.**

****these are references to Romeo and Juliet. When Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, he says "A plague upon BOTH your houses" as his final words.**

**I hope you guys liked this. Thanks. FF**


	27. Soul Brewing

**I am so happy right now. The Assassin's Creed III trailer was released today and it looks absolutely amazing. Hm, other than that, nothing much. Heh, Hades and Justinian. We are really heading towards the end of the story. I estimate this story will probably go until 48 chapters. I could be wrong though. It is Sophomore Testing Week so I don't have to be at school until 9:55. That is an extra 2 hours of sleep.**

**Anyways, enough of this chit chat. Chapter go. Sorry for the abrupt time skip but it is needed.**

_Several weeks have passed since the battle near Rain Town. Over the course of the few weeks, the war against the Angkols has destroyed lives and the Angkols continue to advance deep into Hohenheim territory, the inexperienced Green Army no match for the Angkol military machine. Lidia continues to stall in her decision to meet the Angkols head on and the news that the chairman of the Wizard Council has been gravely injured led to many mages deserting and many soldiers deserting as well. It seemed that nothing could stop Sebastian and his hordes of religious warriors._

_Currently, the guild masters of Fiore meet with Lidia at Adrianople to discuss what action they should take. Meanwhile, Tadaaki Ryuusaga tells his brother some disturbing news. _

**Meeting room, Adrianople**

The meeting room was modest unlike all the other rooms in the fortress. It consisted of three white walls with no windows, a long wooden desk with several wooden chairs and the door that was made of stone and inlaid in a fourth white wall. Inside the room sat the guild masters of Fiore. Lidia sat at the head of the table, trying to keep her wits about her. The Angkols had defeated yet another Hohenheim force and it seemed that Tate would soon find herself dangling from a hangman's noose.

The two guild masters sitting closest to her were the guild masters of Fairy Tail and Saber Tooth and they were very vocal about their opinions. They seemed to almost always disagree but they did agree on some important topics. Currently, Lidia was considering entering the war as soon as possible and not waiting until the Hohenheims had surrendered.

"Join the war without seeing how far the Hohenheims can slow down our enemy? That is madness! They have proved their failure in every battle they have fought! They do not deserve our further support!" the guild master of Saber Tooth said, his eyes narrowing as Gildartz glared at him.

Gildartz slammed down his fist as he faced his fiercest opposition, Vance Zarian. He was cunning, willing to sacrifice his guild members like pawns and was a member of the Wizard Council unlike Gildartz*. Vance's snake-like eyes looked back at him, the devious forces already at work. He was wearing a shoulder cape that was dark red and his guild tattoo was printed on his forehead and he wore absolutely no clothes besides the black dress pants he wore and his dark brown boots. Gildartz just glared at Vance, his anger growing.

"Are you saying that we allow thousands of people to die? Is that what you want Vance?" Gildartz demanded as Vance shook his head slowly.

The other guild masters watched in silence as the two major guild masters duked it out. Lidia just listened, closing her eyes. This argument had caused her to have a massive headache.

"Oh you misunderstand Gildartz. I do not want wholesale slaughter. I am just saying that was is a few mercenaries dead in the fields? They might just be able to slow the Angkols down enough that we can easily defeat them." Vance said coolly as Gildartz seethed in anger.

"How dare you-" Gildartz was about to shout when suddenly Lidia's eyes snapped open. She had allowed this bickering to go on long enough.

"Enough! It is obvious that you can not handle such a decision without almost killing each other! I was a fool to consider the opinions of such close minded people!" Lidia shouted as she stood and stormed out of the room, the other guild masters sighing and standing to leave as well.

Soon, the entire room had been emptied besides Vance and Gildartz who continued to glare at each other. Gildartz knew that Vance was up to something dangerous.

"Just who's side are you on?" Gildartz demanded as Vance stood from his chair.

"My allegiance is of no concern to you." The Saber Tooth guild master said as he left the room without another word.

**Office of the Consuls **

Hitoshi Ryuusaga was sitting at his desk in the Office of Consuls when his brother came into the office, looking grim. Hitoshi looked up at his brother, his face instantly clouding with worry when he saw Tadaaki's dark face.

"Something wrong Tadaaki?" Hitoshi asked as Tadaaki nodded slowly and explained what had happened to Hitoshi, details and all.

Tadaaki spoke urgently about the fight with Darren and what the dark mage had said to him. Hitoshi thought deeply as he took in everything Tadaaki was saying. He had researched something like this before…

"Ingredients you say…for brewing a…soul?" Hitoshi asked as he looked at Tadaaki, the general nodding.

Hitoshi turned to select from a book from the bookshelf that was behind his desk. He had collected rare medical and magical books from his travels around the world and perhaps one of them had something on "Soul Brewing". Hitoshi selected an old dusty brown book with several tatters in the cover. The lettering was faded but Hitoshi opened it to a page he had marked.

The title of the page read "The dead and all their rights". It was the closest Hitoshi could get to a "soul".

_Once someone or something passes into the land of the dead, they become the property of Death. Those that have committed acts of good or evil pass through a place known as "The Eternal Forest". There, they await their rebirth. Whether the soul was good or evil in its former life is of no concern. The dead have a right to return, neutral._

Tadaaki and Hitoshi finished reading the pages and the two looked at each other.

"Did the Tartaros mage say who exactly he was trying to bring back?" Hitoshi asked, Tadaaki shaking his head.

Hitoshi stared down at the page in the book. This was a bit too confusing. The attacks on Magnolia, "Soul Brewing" and Tartaros somehow being involved. Just what were they planning? Suddenly Hitoshi thought back to the Magnolia attacks. Why Magnolia? Why bomb that city instead of Adrianople? Then he remembered that he had received a document from Makarov a while back speaking about "guild treasure". But there was still another city they could be targeting. Hitoshi didn't want to take a chance of them only attacking one. Hitoshi looked at Tadaaki, his voice urgent.

"Tadaaki! The Tartaros mages! They are going to attack Magnolia!"

**Magnolia**

Magnolia had recovered from the bombing attacks but not by much. Debris still covered the streets in some areas and the bombed section of the city had not yet been rebuilt. Not many people visited the city for fear of another bombing. Magnolia had a long past of invasions despite the rocky hills that surrounded it due to its ideal position in a crossroad of trade routes and its rich soil. The only visitors to the city were brave adventurers and mages who sought out Fairy Tail.

But on the side of the mountain that surrounded Magnolia, two men watched the city. One was a greasy black haired man with a suit and tie and his face had a blank expression on his pale face. The other was a familiar character, manly short brown hair with blonde streaks down the sides, his green greatcoat and his amber eyes that looked down on the city with obvious disapproval.

"Magnolia…it contains a great treasure." Bael said as he watched the city from on top of the rocky hill.

And all around them, hundreds of people brought cannons up the side of the hill and positioned them pointing down into the city. Bael smiled as the last cannon was positioned. He looked at the greasy haired man in the suit. He was Kyle Anton, the guild master of Bilderburg**, the dark guild version of Hunter Pride. Bael nodded his head and Kyle turned to look at the nearest cannon crew.

"Fire!"

Bael smiled as the cannons roared one by one. The second battle of Fairy Hill had begun, and Fairy Tail's treasure would be captured.

**I wrote most of this chapter last night but I finished it this morning. Took a while to actually figure out what I was supposed to be doing but I got it done.**

**References: *Fairy Tail was not represented in the Wizard Council because of their active resistance against Garlan rule**

****I think you have seen Bilderburg appear many times in my stories. The chain of command went from Brandon to Kyle and when Brandon left to join Fairy Tail, Kyle took over.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. I will see you all next time. FF**


	28. Crusade for Magnolia

**Here is the next chapter for Of Body and Mind. Updates for my original stories will slow down because I want to finish some of my other stories in order to work on some other stuff.**

**And also, as for the Saber Tooth story, I am going to hold it back until Sting and Rogue use their actual elements. That is one thing that I can not leave to fanon. Dragon Slayer elements are something I will always keep in canon. **

**Also, cameo at the end of this chapter (sort of). Enjoy.**

_Bilderburg was an infamous dark guild. They actively raided villages and caused as much trouble as they could. Their ranks consisted of exiled mages, ex-convicts, and mercenaries. But overall, the guild was filled with mercenaries. Bilderburg in itself was an army for hire. Any warlord, with the right amount of money, could easily hire the entire guild to act as their army. _

_They had been known to form alliances before and this one with Tartaros was no different than the one they had forged with Tartaros and Worm Wood long ago. _

_But why were they attacking Magnolia? Fairy Tail was one of the few legal guilds they feared and yet they openly attack Fairy Tail's home town? Perhaps Bael's presence had given them courage to fight against Fairy Tail. But it was obvious that they wanted something to do with Fairy Tail._

The first cannonball smashed into the city square, smashing the stone street and cracking the marble fountain in the middle. The water spilled out of the cracked marble bowl and several more cannonballs followed, smashing into the streets around, knocking down houses and causing chaos as civilians ran for cover. Fairy Tail did not realize what was going on. The guild was much too noisy for anything to be heard.

Natsu was the one who realized that Magnolia was under attack. His enhanced hearing heard the ring of the cannons as they roared and spit lead balls down onto the city. He quickly ran to the balcony of the guild and he watched in anger and horror as the smoke rose from the city. He turned to everyone else in the guild. They were busy eating, fighting and talking but Natsu's voice got their attention, his voice angry and easily distinguishable.

"Magnolia is under attack! Those bastards have snuck up on us!" he shouted as everyone suddenly burst into chatter as they scattered through the guild, alerting everyone they saw.

Gajeel quickly ran up to Natsu, grunting as he looked outside. Against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, the cannon crews were difficult to see but Gajeel's eyes widened as he saw something.

_Fump_

The cannonball was engulfed by Gajeel as the black ball of lead shot into the dragon slayer's mouth. Gajeel just grinned, the ball of lead still in his mouth.

"Hron Dhagon Fayer's Hoar!" Gajeel shouted, his voice muffled by the cannonball stuck in his mouth.

The ball shot out of Gajeel's mouth travelling at incredible speed. It arced across the blue sky and it shot straight through the cannon crew that had shot it. There was an explosion as the cannon exploded and sent the crew falling to their deaths. Gajeel stepped back to admire his handiwork but was distracted by Natsu pointing towards the city.

"Gajeel! We need to get down there! Stop looking at the explosion and help me!" Natsu shouted as he started to run out the door.

Gajeel grunted angrily as he chased after the fire dragon slayer. Everyone else in the guild followed after Natsu and Gajeel wondered if he could devour any cannons before the day was over. He slammed the doors shut behind him and he followed the rest of his guild mates down the hill and into the city.

…

"I trust that your men can hold of Fairy Tail long enough for me to get what I need?" Bael asked, looking down at the city, taking in the scene of destruction and chaos he had helped create.

Kyle sniffed and he looked over at the huge mob of mercenaries he had brought with him from his guild. They were more than a million people, wearing mismatched armor and holding rusted swords and axes. Kyle looked back at the intimidating and stone cold man.

"Of course. More than a million mercenaries and several hundred mages will be more than enough to keep the fairies busy." Kyle said as he straightened his red tie.

Bael nodded slowly as he looked down at Fairy Tail, noticing how small it looked from up so high. Bael took a deep breath and he concentrated on what he needed to do. And slowly, his body began to change. First his eyes changed. They went from hollow to black and there were eight of them. Then he started to grow hair all over his body, the clothes he was wearing soon disappearing in a thick coat of hair. Thick mandibles grew from his mouth and soon, extra limbs started to grow from his sides. They were hairy and resembled a spider's. Within minutes, Bael was gone. In his place was a large spider, brown colored fuzzy hair and huge mandibles that could easily cut iron bars in half.

The huge spider began crawling down the hill and the sounds of thousands of people descending upon a city created a thundering roar. Bael smiled as his legs touched back down onto the earth, having crawled down the rocky hill in under a minute. His body started to return to normal form and Bael dusted himself off as he could hear the sounds of fighting throughout the town. He would have little time to do the job…

**Within Magnolia**

The hordes of mercenaries crowded the city, fighting against mages from Fairy Tail. The shouts and screams of people filled the air and hearing anyone talk was almost impossible. It had been luck that had brought them to Natsu and Gajeel. They had met on the way into the city and they would valuable allies if they were forced to fight crowds of mercenaries. Asura and Azami were sticking close to Gajeel and Natsu while Raymond was in the middle of the group of four.

"Natsu! Where the hell is everyone!' Gajeel shouted as he dodged a sword and smashed his fist into a mercenary.

There was a burst of flame as a group of dark guild soldiers were taken out and Natsu turned to Gajeel, glaring at him, his mouth still smoking.

"How the hell should I know!" Natsu shouted back at the iron dragon slayer.

Asura and Azami helped Gajeel and Natsu clear space for the other mages when suddenly a wave of green flashed and the group found themselves on the ground, covered in dust and dazed. The two dragon slayers were still standing, glaring at whoever had made the attack. The dust was still floating but the figure easily waved it away. He had greasy black hair, a suit on with a red tie and his smile was one of absolute loathing. He held a book in his hand that was covered in green runes.

"I found the fairy dragons! And some other worthless mages as well!" he said delightfully as he looked through the book. "Well what are you waiting for? I have not had a good fight in years! Gavarstead!"

**Fairy Tail**

The doors to the legendary guild smashed open as Bael walked in. He looked around the empty guild and chuckled. It was an honor to see the guild but he was here for more important reasons. The intimidating man looked around the guild for the entrance to the basement. He remembered the map that Jack had given him before he had come. He recalled a concrete trapdoor in Makarov's office…

_Slam!_

Bael broke the door to Makarov's office easily and grinned when he found the concrete trapdoor behind the desk. He smashed the concrete like it was paper and descended the stairs quickly. He was halfway down the stairs when a shadow fell over him. He turned slowly, expecting to see Makarov but his facial expression changed greatly when he saw who it was.

"Impossible…." The stone faced man growled.

**The thing in Fairy Tail's basement has always bugged me. I wondered what it was for a while but then I just gave up. I hope this was alright. Anyways, I will see you all next time. FF**


	29. Good memories

**I am going to California tomorrow! It is pretty exciting because I have only been to California once in my whole life and there are a few family members there. It will be pretty awesome to see it again. I can not remember much about it because it was so long ago but I hope the vacation will be awesome.**

**Anyways, we return to the story with a return of a very special character.**

"Impossible…." Bael growled as he looked at the glowing form before him.

It was a child like woman who was short, half Bael's height with green eyes that glared back at him. Her blonde hair went down her wavy dress that was pink in color and she was standing barefoot on the concrete stairs. A glow of yellow light seemed to surround her and she had peculiar wing like adornments around her ears. Mavis Vermillion.

Bael narrowed his eyes. He had never heard of a spirit of the dead actually returning to the human world. They were forever confined in the realm of the One. Bael looked at the short woman with utter disgust. Mavis refused to be intimidated.

"I will not allow you to steal the happy memories of Fairy Tail, you villain!" she said angrily as Bael looked behind him down towards the stairs.

The large man thought for second about what Mavis had said. What did she mean by happy memories? It took a few seconds for Bael to understand but when he did, he started to laugh at Mavis.

"Happy memories? That is what you preserve in this underground vault of yours? You fools!" Bael laughed as Mavis just glared at him.

The short woman just held out her palm towards Bael and she spoke with a voice that was cold and harsh.

"The happy memories of your comrades are some of the best things in the world. Of course you would want to preserve them! Fairy Magic! Fairy Light!" Mavis shouted as Bael slammed into the sidewall of the staircase and suddenly he was smashed against the ceiling.

The large man grunted in pain as he was smashed against the solid concrete but he seemed to be holding up fine as he grinned down at Mavis. This fight was going to be interesting! The man's greatcoat was hanging down from the ceiling and Mavis was surprised to see the man crawl across the ceiling like fly and come down the side of the wall and stand back up, brushing himself off. Bael looked at Mavis with a cocky grin as he slammed his fist into his open palm.

"You are a spirit of the dead. Your power is limited and therefore, I can defeat you easily!" Bael shouted as suddenly hundreds of spiders started to crawl out from the cracks between the concrete.

The small brown colored creatures scurried across the rough concrete quickly and Mavis screamed in terror as she fended off the spiders as Bael just looked amused. It seemed like the battle was over. But then Mavis did something unexpected. Suddenly, the spiders suddenly started to die! Bael took a step back and just in time as a bubble of yellow light appeared around Mavis, completely killing anything in the bubble besides her. Mavis glared at Bael.

"Do not think that I am weak simply because I am a spirit. I will defend Fairy Tail forever and you will not be the one that will defeat me!" Mavis shouted as light gathered near her.

Bael took a step back. Was this…the legendary Fairy Law? Could he hold back such an attack? It was said that Fairy Law destroyed all evil in its path. But Bael did not back down to the challenge. Instead, his right arm changed into that of a spider's and he charged forward, wanting to strike first.

"This is the end for you! Get out of our way!" Bael shouted as the light created a seal in front of Mavis with the Fairy Tail emblem in the middle.

The seal started to send light flying forth and Bael's arm smashed into the seal and the two stood there, struggling against each other's magical influence. The two seemed to be equally matched but then a crack appeared in the Fairy Tail symbol and Bael grinned. Her power was not as strong due to the limiter! Within seconds, Bael smashed through the Fairy Law and Mavis fell back, and lay on the floor and slowly faded away, the yellow light fading as she disappeared.

Bael turned to go descend the staircase but he suddenly brought his hand up to his throat. He spit out the blood in his mouth and he suddenly leaned against the wall, his legs going weak. He grit his teeth as he went down the concrete steps.

**Outside of the guild**

A wave of green light struck the ground in front of the group of five and they were sent flying back onto the cobblestone street. Natsu and Gajeel were the first to get up, having been quick enough to land on their feet. The two dragon slayers watched as the man smile as he flipped a page in his book. He took a step forward, looking at the two dragon slayers with a strange look in his eye.

"It has finally come to this. I have always wanted to see Fairy Tail brought to its knees. You think that you are so high and mighty. I will show you just how wrong you are." Kyle said as the book glowed green and sent a wave of green light shooting towards Gajeel.

The iron dragon slayer grabbed his arm as a cut developed on Gajeel's muscular arm and Kyle grinned at the sight of the small cut and he glanced at Azami and Asura who were getting up from the street to join Natsu and Gajeel in fighting the Bilderburg guild master. Raymond was still on the ground, eyes closed.

"So it is true…dragon slayers are resistant to magical damage…interesting. So, how about it you four? Fight me and see just how strong you are!" Kyle shouted as Natsu charged forward, fists flaming.

…

Bael smiled as he looked at the glowing light coming from within the vault he stood in front of. His entire body seemed to glow with happiness as he spoke.

"Jack, I have found it."

**Rushed chapter. There was a huge distraction in the middle of it and I couldn't bring myself to continue with a fight against Kyle. The fight will be next chapter. Sorry. FF**


	30. Kirgavir

**It has been a while since I wrote anything. Spring Break seems to be going by very quickly and hopefully we get to see something interesting in Fairy Tail this week. Still sort of sick so let us see where this chapter will go. **

**Anyways here is the chapter. This fight won't be nearly as long as the one against Darren and Selena. Also, something "special" at the end of this chapter. Enjoy.**

_Kyle Anton was a peculiar mage. There are two styles of magic in the world. Caster and Holder. Caster is the use of magic without an instrument to amplify it. Holder, is a style that requires an instrument to release magical power. Kyle uses Holder magic due to the book that he holds. _

_However, Kyle does not get tired easily, even after using high level spells. Why is that? It is because of the book he is holding. While it is not one of the Sacred Tomes, it is a book of high magical power, preloaded with powerful wind based spells. The user does not need to use massive amounts of power to use high level spells because it is preloaded*. _

_How can Natsu and the other hold up against Kyle?_

"You bastard!" Natsu screamed as his fist smashed into Kyle's stomach, sending the dark guild master sliding across the ground, the book still open in his hand.

Natsu landed on the ground, heaving as he stared angrily down the street as Kyle slowly stood up and brushed himself off along with the book. Kyle looked at Natsu, smiling darkly. The book glowed green and the well-dressed man looked down at the book with a smile.

"Ah…that hurt." Kyle said as he shrugged his shoulder and pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his suit pocket. The book started to glow so intensely that the green light reflected back onto Kyle's face as he looked across the pages. "I think this spell shall be enough to avenge the injury I have taken. Flight Chaser!"

The blade of green light shot forward from the book and Natsu dodged out of the way, grinning. Gajeel, Asura and Azami easily dodged it as well, but they did not realize what the spell really did. Natsu started to run towards Kyle, his fists ready to deliver a shot to Kyle's smiling face when suddenly the fire dragon slayer was knocked forward, a look of surprise on his face. Gajeel and the others had looks of surprise on their face as Natsu shot towards Kyle.

"The blade of green light followed him!" Asura shouted as Kyle held out his hand as Natsu came closer.

"Wind Barrier!" Natsu was send flying back, tumbling into Gajeel who caught him and set him on the ground.

Kyle scratched his head as he watched Natsu get up, his face one of pure anger. Gajeel decided that it was his turn to attack and he moved even faster than Natsu, knowing that speed was the key to defeating Kyle.

"The Iron Dragon's Fist!" Gajeel shouted as the huge rod of metal slammed towards Kyle.

Bilderburg's master took a step back, trying to distance himself from the attack and a bubble made of green light soon appeared around him. However, Gajeel had been too fast, the rod of metal being halfway through the bubble by the time it was created. Kyle stood inside the bubble, just inches away from Gajeel's iron fist, gritting his teeth as he struggled against the iron dragon slayer's power.

"You idiot! You are interfering with magic! If you don't yield now then we will be killed!" Kyle roared as he tried to force Gajeel out from his bubble.

Gajeel grinned as he started to feel the strain from being within the bubble. He vaguely recalled Natsu saying something about his battle against a guy from Lamia Scale who could negate magic. The idiotic mage had stuck his entire hand into the bubble, ignoring the fact that his entire arm could have been shredded.

'_How coincidental' _Gajeel thought as he slowly pushed himself into the bubble, inching forward, feeling his arm being shredded by the bubble of green light.

Kyle looked panicked as he saw that Gajeel would not give up. He looked behind Gajeel and his eye's widened. The flaming fist struck the bubble of green light before Kyle could give any sort of shout and the fire punch was followed by a barrage of fire and wispy smoke. Kyle watched in fear as cracks started to develop in the bubble.

"H…how the hell can you do this! There is no way you would be able to hold out this long!" Kyle wailed as he stepped back, fearful of what would happen if the Fairy Tail mages would do if they got through.

Gajeel and Natsu answered at the same time, their voices combining to create a powerful and resounding voice.

"This is the power, of Fairy Tail!" the two dragon slayers shouted as their force became even stronger, forcing Kyle to flip through his book frantically, looking for a spell that could help him escape from the situation.

Asura and Azami were merely supporting Natsu and Gajeel but they were still worried about Raymond who was still lying in the cobblestone street, eyes closed. Was he alright? But the two mages did not have to time to think as they turned their attention to the two dragon slayers. Natsu and Gajeel were smashing their way through the bubble, watching with joy as hundreds of cracks developed. Kyle was frantically flipping through pages, the man's sweat visibly dripping down his forehead and onto his suit.

"Hey! Kyle! Don't you feel a bit…cornered?" Natsu taunted evilly as Gajeel nodded in agreement.

"Just think about what will happen if we break through this barrier of yours! Gehehe!"

Suddenly something caught Kyle's eye. There was a particularly long crack in the bubble. It was getting longer by the second…slowly about to reach a multitude of smaller cracks. Kyle felt a lump of dread form in his throat. Time was running out! Finally, Kyle found something that could save him. And then, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Kyle turned to the spell he wanted and he looked up just in time to see the bubble shatter. The greasy haired man called out his spell, the green light illuminating the faces of Natsu and Gajeel as the two pounced towards Kyle. There was an explosion as Natsu and Gajeel were blown back towards Asura and Azami, and Kyle was blown back into the street. Asura and Azami helped the two dragon slayers stand and they watched as Kyle stood slowly, coughing. The man smiled weakly as he opened his book once more.

"This is where it all begins. That was all child's play. You won't catch me in a situation like that ever again! Feel the power of Bilderburg! Kirgavir!" Kyle shouted as the book glowed green once again.

**Westcliff**

A medium sized army of mercenaries marched towards the gates of Westcliff. They were led by a man who was limping a bit, his white beard going down to the middle of his neck. He was wearing a helmet and one eye was covered by an eye patch. The man continued to limp towards the gate until he saw the gates of the city open slightly and out came two individuals.

One was an old man, using a steel cane to walk. He had white hair and he was as tall as his partner, a young pale man with brown hair and a emotionless expression. They both wore white robes of Illuminati and they soon stood in front of the leader of the mercenaries. The old man grumbled as he looked at the leader.

"A sorry state you are in, Hades." The man grumbled.

The leader didn't seem effected by his comment and just looked at the short man. He slowly pulled off his eye patch, revealing a whirlpool of knowledge.

"Goldfinger, you are an old man. You best surrender the city to us. I will have no problem with killing you and everyone within the city." Hades growled as Goldfinger scoffed.

"You really think I will believe that bluff. You underestimate me Hades. Do you really think that because you are a demon mage, you can defeat anyone? Very well, I shall show you the power of Illuminati!" Goldfinger roared as he held up one wrinkled finger at Hades.

Hades held out both hands at Goldfinger and a blast of dark magic smashed towards Goldfinger with incredible force.

_~ring~**_

Hades suddenly gasped. The blast of black magic made Goldfinger stumble back and groan but there was no other effect besides that. Suddenly Hades fell to the ground, dead. The army of mercenaries drew their weapons and were about to attack when the man next to Goldfinger held out one hand and uttered coldly.

"Purge!"

**That was the chapter. I hope it was alright.**

**References: *When a magical writer writes a book, they use their magic to load spells into the books. The result is a book that can be used to fire spells at a low cost to the caster, at a later time. The only magical power used by someone other than the writer is the small amount needed to comprehend the runes written in the book.**

****Goldfinger uses a rare magic known as "Bells". Before the effect, there is a distinct ringing sound. Bells allows the caster to rearrange the bone composition within the bodies of others and allows the user to use high level light spells.**

**I hope that was alright. FF**


	31. Reflections

**Well, I finally got back from California. It was pretty awesome there but I am glad to be back home. I read the new Fairy Tail and I was…confused. It felt like I missed a huge chunk of material and I thought I had skipped past a few pages but everything was alright. It found it funny how Saber Tooth received 0 points and Quatro Cerberus got 10 due to Bacchus' skills. Next chapter will be highly anticipated.**

**Also, I watched the Hunger Games movie! It has actually good and it was definitely entertaining although I knew what was going to happen. However Seneca's goatee was distracting. My only complaint about the movie was the lack of blood. There could have been a lot of epic scenes with carnage but it was missing so I disappointed. **

**Anyways, this chapter we delve into the minds of some characters we had been neglecting the past few chapters and a surprise at the end once again! Enjoy.**

_The attack on Magnolia was big news, even in the middle of a huge war. The Wizard Council had proposed sending aid but it never happened mainly due to the strain put on magical soldiers. The war continued to grow and casualties shot up as the war dragged on. Tate's forces had been crushed at nearly every battle. The Angkol generals commanded with incredible skill and the Hohenheims could only grit their teeth as they attempted to take back lost land. _

_What was even more tragic was what happened to captured mages. The Angkols rejected magic as heresy and they executed every mage they captured. Thankfully, a very small amount of mages had been captured but the executions were brutal. Sebastian continued to strike deeper and deeper into Hohenheim territory as Lidia and Hyde struggled to make a decision. The Hohenheims were too inexperienced to fend off the Angkols and there seemed to be no hope for the Hohenheims._

**Angkol Base Camp**

The Angkols had placed their base camp on high ground, on a hill overlooking a small village. They had not brought their entire force but their numbers were huge and they intimidated everyone. This particular Angkol force had arrived only a few weeks ago, easily overpowering the small garrison of soldiers and militia.

Within the camp, the Angkol soldiers were divided into two groups. In one group were the regular Angkol foot soldiers. They were the riflemen, the brutes, and the regular infantry. The other group was made up of elite soldiers brought from Angkol. They were the Ostian Guard and they protected Sebastian from potential harm. They were also high priests in the Order of Hamos, the high church of Angkol.

Currently, Sebastian sat in his tent in the center of the camp, looking over battle plans and smoking a pipe, carefully plotting his next move. The wind was light and airy and there was no one in the tent besides him. The Angkol king was well rested, dressed in his usual red and gold robes.

"Hmm…why do they fight…" the king asked himself as he looked up and down the battle plans.

Sebastian had a strange habit of talking to himself when he was alone. He found it comforting and it was easy to stay entertained if you did so. Suddenly there was a slight vibration in the king's robes and Sebastian frowned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device*. It was made of a strange material that was lightweight yet durable. There was a glass screen and it flickered on to show a man with black hair, his eyes dark and cold. His gaze seemed piercing even though he was seen through a screen.

"Hello King Sebastian. I trust that your campaign is going smoothly?" the man asked as Sebastian smiled.

"Yes Zeref, and I must thank you. Your artifact proved to be a brilliant standard and it seems to strike fear in those who fight against it." smiled Sebastian.

Zeref smiled, laughing at how stupid Sebastian was. All mortals were stupid but Sebastian had proven to be above average but right now Zeref was trying to keep himself contained. Sebastian believed that the artifact was merely a standard piece, designed to strike fear. However, the artifact was much more than that. It guaranteed victory to those who knew how to properly use it and if handled correctly, could forge an empire that gripped the globe. Zeref bowed to the king.

"The results are incredible you majesty. I suspect that you will conquer the Hohenheim Empire soon enough. However, the Garlan Empire is starting to stir. Will you engage them?" Zeref asked smoothly, knowing Sebastian's reaction will be an indicator of whether or not Zeref should use his godly power to intervene.

The king touched his chin, glancing back at his battle plans. Was it really worth fighting the Garlans? After a few seconds of thinking, Sebastian looked back at the screen.

"By the time The Garlan Empire attacks, we shall have conquered The Hohenheim Empire. The Garlans will just sit by once they see how much power we have gathered." Sebastian said confidently as Zeref nodded.

The black haired man in white robes bowed and the screen went dark. Sebastian turned to his battle plans once again. That Tate Hohenheim was truly an interesting woman….

…

Zeref sighed as he slowly slid into a black leather chair. He was in a luxurious room, filled with commodities but with a flick of the Nightmare Mage's wrist, the room changed. It quickly became a cave, a hole in the roof letting in light that illuminated the center of the cave. Water dripped down the rocky sides as Zeref slowly walked into the light, smiling slightly.

"Ah well, it was worth a try. It seems that Sebastian will not engage the Garlans, disappointing. It seems that I must intervene." said Zeref as he closed his eyes, listening to the water drip down the sides of the cave. His eyes suddenly slammed open, the eyes changed. They were blood red and Zeref smiled wickedly. "The Abyss of Magic, Posession of the Body and Mind!"

**Garlan militia camp, near Angkol controlled towns…**

All was quiet in the militia camp. There was currently no threat from the Angkols despite several sightings of Angkol soldiers dangerously close to the camp. The militia was mostly made up of men that were above the age limit for the regular army. Many of them were retired soldiers and they did their job well. The commissioner of the militia, Gavrilo Fletche, was busy sharpening his sword when suddenly the lacrima he kept with him started to glow.

The elderly man was in good shape and he picked up the lacrima, speaking into it. The other members of the militia were awake and they were doing their duties.

"Hello, Gavrilo Fletche of Garlan Militia 3." The old man said curtly, wondering who had called him.

There was a slight cough from the other end and then the sound of retching. Gavrilo frowned as he listened. Was the caller sick? Gavrilo was about to hang up when suddenly a voice came from the other end.

"I'm sorry about the background noises. Our soldiers have come down with a disease. Normally, we would handle the engagement, but we can not move out right now due to sickness. This is an order from Queen Lidia, engage the nearest Angkol held city immediately! Backup troops will soon arrive to aid you!" the voice on the other side said.

"Yes sir, immediately!" Gavrilo said as he put the lacrima down and he turned to the militiamen who were doing their various duties. "We fight tonight boys! Engage the nearest Angkol city!"

…

The Garlan officer gasped as he grew pale and fell to the ground, dead. The body thudded to the ground in the middle of the barracks, surrounded by hundreds of other bodies. Laughter echoed through the empty barracks as the sounds of soldiers moving outside were heard.

"Perfectly orchestrated. I shall see much blood spilled during this conflict and it is the perfect opportunity to cause trouble with an old 'friend'".

**Magnolia**

As chaos erupted as Garlan Militia 3 attacked Angkol controlled cities, the dragon slayers of Fairy Tail battled against Kyle Anton of Bilderburg. They were helped by Azami and Asura as well. There was a fifth member of the team but he was completely blacked out, lying on the cobblestone street. Raymond was out cold, fighting his own battle, inside his head.

…

"_How does it feel to be a thief Vincent." _Julius asked as Vincent laughed at Julius.

"**A thief? I'm not a thief Julius. My father was a thief, a very good one at that, but I am not a thief." **Vincent replied, getting an angry look from Julius.

The two spirits fought like this whenever Raymond went to sleep and this time, the argument was quite heated. Vincent smirked at Julius' shimmering form. It used to be solid like his own but it had grown softer recently.

"**Why do you even care Julius? You grow thinner and thinner by the day, it will not be long before you leave this body completely and rejoin your own." **Vincent said, Julius growling.

"_All you want is your role as a god, am I right Vincent?" _Julius demanded.

The young blonde haired boy shrugged his shoulders and walked right up to the saint. The look on his face was malicious to say the least.

"**And what if the answer is yes? What are you going to do? I know you would do anything to keep me from completing Life's offer. You can not stand the thought of me becoming a god!" **Vincent cackled.

Julius glared at Vincent. A plan to stop the child of evil was forming but the saint was not sure it would work. Julius turned his back to Vincent.

"_Very well, we shall see who wins this little battle over Raymond." _Julius said as he disappeared from Vincent's view.

…

"Kirgavir!"

Suddenly Natsu and Gajeel were screaming in pain as Kyle grinned. Green light suddenly appeared in the form of two huge maws filled with jagged teeth, continually smashing into Natsu and Gajeel. Suddenly blasts of green light sucked Asura and Azami into the mix, making the four mages shout and scream in pain as Kyle nodded his head.

"Learn your place you fairies. Soon, Fairy Tail will be destroyed and I will have my life goal completed." Kyle smirked as the clouds suddenly grew dark, droplets of rain coming down onto the city.

The jagged teeth of green light cut skin like a knife and blood dropped onto the street, the Fairy Tail mages trying to escape it. It seemed like nothing could stop the incredible pain when suddenly a blur shot past the jagged teeth and a small chunk of it disappeared. The blur continued to pass by, quickly reducing the teeth to nothing and quickly eating the toothless maws. Kyle took a step back, surprised.

"W…what? You can not just eat my wind attacks!" Kyle shouted as the blur landed on the ground, the Fairy Tail mages gasped.

Blue hair, short stature, barely a teenager, it was Wendy. Her face was muddy and her hair was matted with blood and sweat. She glared at Kyle, the rain pouring down on the group. Thunder crashed and lightning struck. Wendy, the dragon slayer had arrived.

**Honestly, Wendy does not get the respect she deserves. She is the only mage with healing powers while all other mages are destructive. I am quite proud of this chapter. I hope you all had an awesome Spring Break because mine is ending in a few days. **

**References: *I originally had Sebastian pull out a lacrima but I scrapped it for a mini-TV because lacrima requires magic.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! FF**


	32. Dead Men Do Not Speak

**Sorry for not putting up any chapters for the past few days. I was really busy with a few things and it was really hectic for a while. This is going to be short, I really don't want to say anything more. **

_With the arrival of Wendy, Fairy Tail holds a significant advantage. Wendy can easily eat any attack Kyle throws at her and this will be the deciding factor in the battle. In the years that had passed, Wendy had grown stronger, becoming more mature although she was not as strong as Natsu. This was Wendy's chance to shine. _

"Galvanir!" Kyle shouted as green light shot towards Wendy, the blades cutting through the cobblestone street towards the air dragon slayer.

Natsu and Gajeel gave a little smirk as Wendy simply opened her mouth and bit straight into the light, shattering the waves of green light. Wendy landed, smiling and Kyle took another step back, ooking frantically through his book for a spell that could possibly defeat Wendy. The Bildeburg leader grimaced as he flipped through the book quickly, knowing that his defeat would be imminent if he could not conjure up a spell that was for an element that was not Iron, Fire or Air. However, he failed to notice Wendy preparing to counter attack.

The young dragon slayer slowly opened her mouth, planting her feet firmly on the cobblestone street. She focused on Kyle's chest, and she let out a ferocious roar as Kyle looked up in terror. Natsu, Gajeel, Asura and Azami cheered Wendy on as the wind blasted from her mouth at breakneck speed.

"The Sky Dragon's Roar!"

"FIrnav-"

Kyle never got to finish his spell. The twisting winds hit him straight in the chest, sending the dark guild master spinning into a house, completely destroying it. The mages of Fairy Tail let out a shout as Wendy made a triumphant shout. The house collapsed where Kyle had fallen, but a green flash sent the pieces of house flying out of the way. Kyle emerged from the house, his suit ruined, his hair filled with pieces of brick, and with his book all dusty. His eyes were wide with fear and anger as he let out a shriek.

"Bilderburg! Retreat!" he shouted as he turned to run from the group of Fairy Tail mages.

Natsu and Gajeel frowned as Kyle tried to escape. Natsu's hand burst into flames and Gajeel's arm became a rod of iron as they grinned at each other.

"I don't think so!" they both shouted as they chased after the dark guild master.

But it was too late. Kyle had created a barrier of green light that Natsu and Gajeel could not get through and by the time Wendy had eaten it, Kyle had disappeared. The Bilderburg mages had slowly retreated and Fairy Tail soon pushed them out of Magnolia. Cries of victory erupted as the cannons on the hilltops were sent tumbling down onto the rocks and were crushed. The Fairy Tail guild stood in the background, battered, yet proud.

**Adrianople, the fortress**

Hitoshi Ryuusaga had been studying the activities of Tartaros for quite a while. He was also keeping up with "Soul Brewing", and was quite interested in how it worked. But the brown haired man wearing grey colored robes was currently pouring over records of Tartaros activity. He was matching the things needed for Soul Brewing with their activities and he suddenly came upon something strange.

The ingredients to brew a soul required a certain object called, "A Blood Diamond Key". It was an artifact that had never been seen and it could apparently unlock the dimension of the goddesses, allowing the user to travel freely through The Void. Of course, the key would also allow travel through the realm of the dead, giving the user a chance to retrieve one of the many souls that floated within the realm of the dead. Hitoshi passed his eyes over something interesting. The consul was reading a book on the process of Soul Brewing as well and he noticed something interesting.

"One of the ingredients, are memories. They can be either happy or sad, but they need to be incredibly vibrant or gloomy. The last ingredient is the Blood Diamond Key. It is said to appear in only places that are burning hot." Hitoshi frowned when he read that. He had heard the reports of a massive force of mercenaries attacking Magnolia but could that be for memories?

Hitoshi had to assume so as he moved onto the next ingredient. A burning hot place? Hitoshi thought about where the key could appear. Then he realized where it could be. He stood up immediately and he ran out of the office, hurrying for where Lidia and Hyde were.

"Ash Town! Tartaros will be heading to Ash Town next! The volcano!" Hitoshi screamed at soldiers as they passed him.

Hitoshi had found the next target for Tartaros. But will the message get to Fairy Tail in time?

**Tartaros HQ**

_Slosh_

Bael grunted as the bag was plopped onto the table in front of Jack. The large and imposing man grunted as Jack looked at the bag with interest. Jack inspected the bag carefully, but not opening the bag. Finally, he looked up.

"These are the memories?" he asked as Bael nodded silently.

Jack turned to look at the large map on the back wall of the meeting area. Several points were crossed out and Jack turned, his cloak swishing as he did.

"Very well. I believe Ferdinand has already left. I will uphold my part of the bargain. If you wish to discontinue working for us, you can. However, you must never tell anyone _anything _about what we do." said Jack seriously as Bael grunted.

Bael pulled one of the chairs out and sat in it, looking up at Jack. The cloaked man was a mystery but Bael was more than content with the situation. He had done his job. He could be free now. The memories that he had stolen from Fairy Tail would be a loss for them but Bael tried not to hold any hard feelings as he spoke to Jack.

"I will never tell anyone anything I have had to do. Who would want to learn of such atrocities? You forced me to work for you and now I have done everything you asked. I will be leaving without a doubt, but I will always remember you." Bael said as he stood and marched over to the door, opening it to reveal the night sky.

Jack let a sly smile come to his lips as he stood to show Bael the way out. He turned to look at Bael.

"And why is that, I wonder?" asked Jack as Bael stepped out of the door.

Bael did not turn around to answer. He just stared out into the night sky.

"It is because you are the man that all people fear. A man pretending to do good, but causing evil to happen." responded Bael as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Jack frowned as he looked at the closed door. Pretending to do good? Jack slowly smiled as there was the sound of metal scrapping against wood. Jack started to walk away from the door, smiling.

"Perhaps you are right Bael. We may pretend to do good, but dead men tell no tales…"

**Sorry for this weird chapter. I feel like I didn't do a good job with it. Some foreshadowing with Jack and a scene with Hitoshi in it. This story is starting to conclude although the ending will surprise some of you. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter and see you all later. FF**


	33. Identification

**This week was a bit busy. Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been busy and I have been working on a canon project. I just feel tired so I will just go into the story. Maybe a lone AN at the end.**

_Bilderburg retreated, stung by the loss their leader suffered. However, the cost was great. Many were injured and the damage to the city was great. The beauty of the city was ruined and at least a hundred citizens had died during the attack. Magnolia's reputation as one of the most best places to live was crushed. Magnolia was no longer a safe place to live and hundreds of thousands left the city in mass exodus. The city was a shell of what it once was and it seemed that the grey clouds that hung over the city would not leave. _

_In Fairy Tail, the mages were resting and they were worried about the future. Gildartz was trying to appeal to the Wizard Council for aide, but they had been unresponsive. The government was also of no help. The attacks on Angkol camps had brought the Garlan Empire into war. The people rioted in the streets and the Garlan armies were in turmoil as Angkol soldiers assaulted the borders of the empire. It was clear that the Angkols could easily handle two enemies at once. Lidia had no choice. It was time for war. _

**The fields near Oak Town**

The screams of dying soldiers pierced the air as the ground was tossed up by the cannons from both sides. The field had once been green and filled with nice flowers, but the ground was scarred and the dirt was kicked up everywhere with hundreds of soldiers advancing forward, praying that a cannonball would not end their lives in a hail of shrapnel.

"Soldiers! Present rifles!"

Hundreds of rifles aimed towards the group of kettle helmeted Angkol riflemen advancing forward, their uniforms a wine red against the brown of the field. The long row of rifles were still aimed towards the advancing Angkol soldiers, a few of the rifles wobbling with anticipation. The soldiers were anxious to fire as they saw the group of Angkol soldiers stop and aim their own rifles. The soldier's squinted their eyes and lowered their heads, putting their eyes completely level with their rifle barrels and putting their cheeks against their bolts to protect their heads from bullets. The air hung heavy as the command was called out.

"Fire!"

The shots rang out, several Angkol soldiers going down, screaming. The soldiers nodded their heads as they scrambled to load more bullets into their rifles, but soon soldiers from their own ranks were falling. Suddenly there was an explosion from the very left side of the Angkol line and the soldiers let out a small cheer as they aimed once again and fired.

…

"We have taken the field gentlemen!" exclaimed the man wearing the red uniform and holding field glasses to his pale face.

Several of the uniformed men behind him nodded but one of the officers was not impressed. He wore a different uniform, a dark grey uniform with a gold rope going around his shoulders. He wore glasses and he was shaking his head. He took the glasses from the pale man and he quickly scanned the field, grimacing as another salvo of bullets brought down more Garlan soldiers.

"The battle is not over yet gentlemen. You underestimate the enemy Faldio. Our enemy is stronger than you think." said the man as he put down the field glasses as the pale officer pursed his lips.

"With all due respect, Lord General Crack, I believe that the battle is won-"

A series of explosions and cries of pain turned the attention of the officers towards the field. An entire line of Garlan soldiers went down in a cluster of dirt and strange shouts could be heard as the survivors of the ambush started to retreat, running from the front lines. Crack glanced at Faldio as he shouted to the returning soldiers.

"Retreat immediately! Oak Town is lost! Await reinforcement from the mages! Go!" Crack shouted as Angkol brutes started to appear through the dust.

Crack looked at Faldio who had a grim look on his face as the officers quickly piled onto a truck.

"Let this be a lesson to you." And with that, another town fell to the Angkols.

**?**

It had been a long journey from the main base but they had finally made it to the outskirts of the town. Jack looked up at the gates of the city, smiling as he looked at the iron that blocked him from going any farther. He looked all around him to see if anyone was watching. The town seemed completely empty and the clouds were grey. It was a shame that Ferdinand had gone ahead without him.

"Hmm, this doesn't seem like a small town at all." sighed Jack as metal cables slowly coiled around the gates.

The cables gripped the bars tightly and with a single flick of his wrist, the iron gates screeched terribly as they were torn from the gatehouses. The iron gates were flung onto the dirt path and Jack moved quickly, expecting hordes of people to come out of their houses.

But no one came.

Jack shrugged his cloaked shoulders when he saw that no one was going to attack or investigate. It was a shame. If the rest of the crew had been here, they would have had a marvelous time destroying the town. Alas, he and Ferdinand were the last surviving members of Tartaros. He continued on, looking up at the volcano as he went. He marveled at the size of the volcano and quickly followed the path up past a collapsed cave. The path spiraled around the volcano and after several minutes of walking, Jack came to the top to see the boiling inside of the volcano. He slowly smiled his devious smile.

"This is where it all begins."

**Fairy Tail**

Raymond was sitting at a lunch table, trying to eat a sandwich when the doors to the guild smashed open and a man with dark brown hair stormed in. He wore official looking robes and he walked right up to Natsu who was chewing on a torch. Natsu noticed the strange man and the two talked for a while like they knew each other. The man moved on and finally, he had found himself in the middle of the guild. He looked around the large wooden main hall to see everyone at least half glancing at him. Finally, he cleared his throat and shouted in a loud voice.

"ASH TOWN! GO TO ASH TOWN! TARTAROS' NEXT TARGET IS ASH TOWN!" the man shouted as everyone gave him looks.

Nobody really knew what this all meant besides Asura, Azami, Raymond and a select group of people. The guild watched as the master's office slowly opened and Gildartz walked out. He had concerned look on his face as he walked through the lunch room towards the strange man. Gildartz looked at the man, a dark look coming onto his face.

"Ash Town? Are you sure Hitoshi?" asked Gildartz as Hitoshi nodded slowly.

**?**

"Ash Town…"

"Are you sure he's there?"

"…yes, I can feel it."

"…"

"Then to Ash Town we go. We have unfinished business."

"Then we need to hurry. It would be bad if they found the artifact…"

**Yeah…sorry about this chapter. It was more a buildup for next chapter. I was really uninspired so it made it even worse. At least you got to see Crime Sorciere and Crack again. Anyways, review and I will see you all later. FF**


	34. Counterpart

**I can feel inspiration slowly returning inside of me. I have a few new things coming up after Ravens have tails is finished. I plan to end the story tomorrow with the final chapter. Don't have much to say besides that. Enjoy the chapter!**

_Justinian had been badly wounded by Hades. He almost died, but the doctors kept him from falling into the pit known as death. Morale for the mage army was very low. What was even worse, the mage army had divided into two factions, constantly fighting over each other. On one side, mages from Saber Tooth and various other guilds fought against Fairy Tail and their allies. The civil war was a result of accusations that Saber Tooth secretly supported the Angkol forces. The fighting was still going on and neither side wanted to back down._

_One thing was for certain. Without a strong leader, the mages would never be able to unite against the Angkol threat._

**Field Hospital #192**

Field hospitals were merely tents that were placed close to the battlefield, but far enough away that the wounded won't be in range of cannons. Usually, hospitals were very crowded with nurses and wounded soldiers, but Field Hospital #192 was almost completely empty besides a single patient lying on a clean white bed.

It was Justinian.

His entire body was radiating heat and the council chairman struggled to keep his eyes open as his head pounded. He could not move his body besides his head and he groaned as he felt a wave of heat go through him.

He knew what was coming. He was going to die.

That was the reason why the nurses no longer came by with fresh water. That is the reason why the other mages did not visit. But inside, Justinian welcomed death. His life had been a constant disappointment. He had always been looked down on by others, no matter how hard he tried to look strong. It was his own fault that everyone thought he was weak, and now, he was going to die. So the mage lord closed his eyes, and waited for the sweet darkness to take his soul away.

"...you wish to die, am I right?"

The voice forced Justinian's eyes to open. He moved his slightly, feeling the sweat drip from his forehead. He grunted when he saw who was standing by his bed. The mage lord moved his head back to its original position. He didn't even want to look at him.

"Yes, I truly wish I could die right now. Your world was the best thing that happened to me, but I am afraid that I can no longer enjoy it." Justinian said weakly.

"Justinian...there is a way you can 'cheat death'." the voice said.

Justinian turned his head again, looking at the figure standing beside his bed. He scowled, looking like his old self again. But then the wounded mage would sigh and then he would look back at the ceiling of the tent.

"I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet. I know how you came back."

There was a short growl, but it was cut short as there was a cough. There was a sliding noise and the glint of a blade was seen from the corner of Justinian. For the first time since his fight with Hades, Justinian felt alive. Maybe it was the satisfaction of his death, or perhaps the man who was speaking to him. Whatever it was, Justinian felt, alive. The mage chuckled slowly as he felt more sweat dot his forehead.

"So I was right. You still don't have it under control. You can barely maintain yourself!" Justinian laughed as the blade sank into pillow, next to Justinian's head.

There was another growl, this one menacing and prolonged. There was a screech as the figure staggered back, grabbing his head. A few seconds passed and he regained his composure, returning to the side of the bed, sweat dripping from his chin.

"T-that's why I need you! Don't you see Justinian? You, are my Edolas counterpart. Together, we will live within one body. You will be alive, I will regain control of my body. Do not let me fall into the hands of men who will do evil things once they have the ingredients they need!" the figure argued with Justinian.

The mage lord turned his head, seeing the features of the figure beside his bed. His black hair that was matted with sweat, the dirt stains on his cheeks, and his brown eyes. This was the face of his counterpart. Justinian smiled slowly, realizing what would happen if he accepted.

"Living with you? I would never make it a single day." he scoffed.

"I'm not that bad. But you can expect me to get even worse if you don't join with me."

"…fine."

"Please, take my hand."

The hand extended towards Justinian who was struggling to move his hand upwards, his body not wanting to respond. Justinian gasped as he threw his arm up, the fingers of his own hand connecting with the figure's dirty hands. Justinian felt the figure's icy cold hands and he grunted.

"You better be right about this, Julius."

**Near Ash Town…**

"Lucyyyyy! I'm getting a bit tired!" complained Natsu loudly as the celestial mage looked back at him with annoyance.

Lucy put her hands on her hips and she gave Natsu a look. They were currently heading to Ash Town, and Natsu had complained the entire way about the train ride, the horse ride, and the long hike. It was too bad that the train station was never rebuilt after the dragon attack so many years ago…

"Come on Natsu! How do you think Raymond fells? Asura and Azami aren't complaining at all!" Lucy said to Natsu as the fire dragon slayer headed up the dirt trail towards where Lucy was standing.

A bit behind Natsu were Asura and Azami. Raymond was not too far away, moving up the dirt path as fast as he could. It was very hot, like a jungle. In the distance, the volcano stood against the grey sky. It was almost like a pillar of black rock. Ash Town lay on the other side of the volcano, but it was not the town they were interested in. They were more interested in the volcano. Hitoshi had told them everything. Apparently, within the volcano, lay an artifact known as "The Blood Diamond Key". According to ancient legend, it could open The Void, the place where the goddesses lived. Hitoshi had told them that Tartaros was after the key and the group hoped they could reach the volcano before Tartaros did.

**Side of the volcano**

Jack had reached the top of the volcano quite easily. He was leaning over the edge of the volcano right now, looking down at the bubbling mess of molten lava down below. He couldn't see the many tunnels within the volcano, but he knew that Ferdinand was in there, searching for the key. All Jack had to do was wait around for anyone to try to stop them. The wind blew across the volcano and Jack felt his hood rustle from the wind.

He walked away from the edge of the volcano and he walked down the sloped side and he waited patiently. He was coming. Jack could feel it.

And then, it came.

The bolt of yellow light slammed the ground where Jack had been standing and within an instant, Jellal was standing on the side of the volcano, the cracked rocks flying through the air around him. Jack landed safely and he grinned.

"Where are your friends? I would have liked them to join you!" Jack laughed as Jellal glared at the Tartaros mage.

"They went to help with something. In the meantime, I will be dealing with you, _corpse_." spat Jellal as Jack took a step back, growling at the word "corpse".

Metal blades started to snake out of Jack's sleeves and Jack growled menacingly, but then he stopped and smiled. The wind blew across the volcano's side and Jck couldn't help but feel, looked down upon as he saw Jellal's glare.

"Corpse? I am no corpse Jellal. I am flesh and blood, like you." laughed Jack as Jellal shook his head darkly.

"No you aren't Jack. You died a long time ago. You should have stayed dead." Jellal said as his fists glowed yellow.

At least a dozen metal blades attached to chains were snaking out of Jack's sleeves as Jack replied to Jellal. They scrapped the ground and they snaked through the air as if alive.

"I am doing something good Jellal! Why are you so blind! I was resurrected for a reason! It was to bring Julius back so we could all live a life of peace! Why do you think we went through so much effort into brewing a soul? We needed Julius as flesh and blood! The Blood Diamond Key is the last ingredient we need to complete our project!" Jack laughed as Jellal made a stance, his glare hard.

"Then fight me, and we shall see who is the most righteous!" Jellal shouted as he blasted forward, the fist swinging towards Jack's face.

**There we go. I thought this was a good chapter. I felt pretty good about it when I was writing it and I think inspiration is coming back. Good thing tomorrow is Friday! I hope I can finish up Ravens have tails tomorrow! Be looking for the final chapter tomorrow! FF**


	35. Jack vs Jellal needs replacement asap

**I can feel the inspiration coming to me. Everyone is pretty busy so I'm not going to waste your time with a long AN. Jack vs Jellal. **

_Crack_

The fist connected with Jack's face, sending the Tartaros mage tumbling down the side of the gritty volcano. Jellal watched as Jack scrambled to slow himself down and the Tartaros mage finally found a way to stop himself from sliding any further and he stood, his black cloak smudged with dust smeared across it. The metal chains snaked out of the mage's cloak and shot towards Jellal, the former Wizard Saint dodging most of them but a few still wrapping around his body and pulling him forward. With a single pull the chains the two mages were face to face.

Jack smiled wickedly as one of the chains floated up to Jellal's face, sporting a curved blade. Jack sighed and breathed deeply. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"Finally, finally, I can defeat you," Jack slowly laughed as Jellal glared at him, "Do you know how long I have wanted to kill you? Even when I was in Fairy Tail I hated you! And now, everything will finally pay off!"

The chain blade slashed forward.

"Meteor!"

The flash of yellow light sent Jack tumbling back, the chain blade missing Jellal as he blasted away, yellow light trailing behind him. Jack quickly stood, a mass of chains quickly erupting from the black mage's sleeves as Jellal came in to attack. The Wizard Saint blasted towards Jack, the mass of chain blades swarming around the black mage.

"You've underestimated me, Jack!" screamed Jellal as he smashed through the mass of chain blades, every single one of them burning away by the intense heat of friction Jellal's body caused as he blasted through them.

Jellal's fist connected with Jack's shoulder and the former Wizard Saint wasted no time slamming several punches into Jack's chest. The punches kept coming at incredible speed, Jack taking every single one of them. The black mage was slowly moving back, forced back by the incredible force of Jellal's punches. The final punch was delivered straight into Jack's face, sending the black mage slamming backwards, sliding backwards down the hill, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Jellal watched as the cloud of dust slowly cleared, wondering why Jack wasn't doing anything to actually attack. Several chain blades struck the ground, making Jellal jump backwards against the edge of the volcano. He could feel the heat of the lava inside as the chains suddenly shook as Jack used them to speed himself up. Jellal grit his teeth when he saw Jack. The black mage landed perfectly, his body almost unharmed, with only his cloak ripped in some areas. Jellal was surprised to see this. His meteor attack should have at least damaged him! Jack shrugged his shoulders and smiled, he brought his hands up to remove the cloak's hood.

"Jellal, I really thought you were stronger than this. You proved to be a powerful mage when I was still alive." taunted Jack as Jellal grit his teeth and prepared to fight.

_Clang clang clang_

Jellal let out a shout of pain as three chain blades struck his chest, the blades digging into his skin. Jack let out a laugh as Jellal quickly cut them, grabbing his chest and jumped out of range. Jack grinned as Jellal closed his fist besides two fingers and swiped them back. Jack smiled as a sphere of light rushed towards him.

"Still underestimating me!" Jack shouted as the chain blades shot into the sphere of light.

The ball of light quickly faded away and Jack swung the chain blades towards Jellal, making the mage dodge once again. This continued on for a while, Jack chasing Jellal with a vengeance, chasing him continuously as Jellal attempted to knock Jack off balance. The blades stung as they cut Jellal as he shot spell after spell at him. The light seemed to smash into Jack with full force, but the Tartaros mage would always get back up, seemingly unharmed. Finally Jellal stopped running, taking the force of the blades, but standing firm as he made a spell sign.

"Altaris!" shouted Jellal as every shadow near Jellal was sucked into the small ball of black and white light in front of Jellal.

Jack let out a frustrated groan as chain blades slipped out of his sleeves and formed in front of him like a wall. The metal blades locked into place sort of like a shield and Jellal finally finished charging his spell. Jack grit his teeth.

"Go!"

The ball smashed forward, Jack feeling the force it was creating. Jack suddenly felt something crack. Pain shot through his body. He had broken it? Impossible! Jack let out a scream as the barrier of chains exploded into links of chain and the Tartaros mage was sent straight into the ground, the ground exploding around him as was smashed straight into the side of the volcano.

Jellal stood, the body of Jack stuck in the dirt, unmoving. Jellal sighed and he turned to leave when suddenly chains wrapped around his ankles. The mage turned to see Jack, slowly coming out from the hole, growling and covered in dirt.

"Let's end this Jellal! You think you are so high and mighty! You may have broken my Iron Hide, but you'll never make a mockery of me!" Jack shouted as hundreds of chain blades erupted from his sleeves and flew towards Jellal.

Jellal dodged, expecting nothing to happen when suddenly, the chain blade exploded, sending the mage flying forward into the ground. The one that had hit the ground right in front of him exploded as well. They were explosive! Several hundreds of explosions rang out as Jellal tried not to lose complete sense of where he was. The flames from the explosion burned Jellal's skin as he tried to keep awake as Jack smiled slowly, his smile now crooked.

"I think I can predict what you will do next. Abyss Break, am I right?" Jack said as he grabbed onto Jellal's collar as he stood up.

Jellal said nothing, only watching darkly as storm clouds circled above the volcano and lightning crackled around them, sending the dust of the volcano swirling into the air. Fierce winds contributed to this factor, causing all the dirt and dust to float into the air. They were surrounded by a miniature tornado. Jellal closed his eyes.

"This is the end Jack. By the time this spell is finished, the entire town will disappear from the face of the world." said Jellal darkly.

Jack's face twisted in anger at Jellal's words.

"Haha! Just another evil deed in your book isn't it Jellal? Just another deed to solidify your position as a truly evil person!" Jack laughed.

Jellal smiled slightly. Jack had no idea. Jellal knew he was a sinner. That was unavoidable. But he could do something about it, couldn't he? Jellal felt his body being pushed away and opened one eyes as Jack pointed his hands up to the dark storm clouds.

"This wont be the end for me!" he screamed as hundreds of chain blades shot towards the storm clouds.

The hundreds of blades glowed dark purple and they blended into the sky and Jack let out a sigh as the chains suddenly let out wisps of white light. The storm clouds seemed to disperse and the lightning and Jack stumbled back, grinning. This was the moment to strike! The chains in suddenly exploded into bursts of white light as the storm clouds and lightning disappeared, replaced by clear skies. The chains then switched targets, the hundreds of chains combining together to take the form of a single giant spear.

"Chain Wasp! The Hundred Blade Spear!" Jack screamed as he ran forward, the blade going with him towards Jellal who was starting to stand up.

_Thud_

Jack looked down at his chest and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the purple seal on his chest, counting down.

Self-destruct.

Jack looked at Jellal, his face filled with anger. He raised an accusing finger at Jellal, his face one of intense rage.

"Jellal, you bastard! You were willing to sacrifice most of your magical energy, _just _to cast self-destruct on me. I managed to cancel it, thinking that you would strike back, but…"

Jellal swung Jack over the volcano, the counter starting to reach the thirty second mark. Jellal's face was one of loathing as the volcano boiled underneath Jack.

"You've lost yourself, Jack. You used to be a decent person, but now, you're nothing more than a shell of your former self." Jellal coughed, touching his chest where Jack's final attack had pierced him.

Blood splattered against Jack's cloak as Jellal coughed it up. The air was hot as Jellal loosened his grip, Jack falling towards the volcano.

"_Jellal!"_

Jellal turned away from the volcano, breathing deeply as he grabbed his chest and collapsed against the side of the volcano.

"He…he really got me…" Jellal sighed as he closed his eyes.

**Yeah, this took forever. I'll most likely be rewriting this chapter soon. I didn't like how it came out at all. I guess that is what happens when you write a chapter while watching the midnight frogs. **

**Anyways, be prepared for a chapter replacement soon and the next chapter soon.**

**FF**


	36. Boil

**Feeling down again. My time for writing is slowly decreasing thanks to drumline tryouts. Please hope I can land a good spot. Anyways, here is the chapter and here, we see Ferdinand's abilities I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

_While Jellal finished off Jack and Natsu and co worked their way towards the volcano, two individuals were meeting in a place so ancient, it had been forgotten._

The air was cold, frigid even. Cracked blocks of once pearly white marble lay everywhere, vines and weeds growing from the once lush ground. Broken columns stood everywhere and the only sounds were those of two people speaking quietly. The two individuals stood in front of a small marble column, the column being almost completely cracked along its side. The speakers were wearing tattered cloaks, one black and one white. The white cloak was smudged, once having been a pristine white. On closer observation of the two, they appeared to be women.

"It is rare that I meet with one I have exiled, but people have lost faith. They no longer believe in us. Many of your group has fallen under the influence of a dangerous man, but what can we do? We have no power." The woman in the smudge white cloak sighed.

The white cloaked woman was old, nearly ancient. Her face was a mass of wrinkles and her eyes were sad, once having had sparks of joy. The one in the black cloak sighed mournfully, like she had just lost a family member.

"You are right, you always have been, but I don't think this is a time where we must be defeated. There is a group, a group of people we have always tried to keep contained. I know that the Clouded War has made people turn away from us, but we must live on! We must rebuild our influence! We have existed from the beginning of time, and we just die now, when the humans need us the most?" the black cloaked woman asked, her face one of disbelief.

The black cloaked woman was a little bit younger, although she was still an old woman. However, her eyes still had a spark of confidence unlike her counterpart. The woman in white looked at the black cloaked woman. Her eyes narrowed at the mention of the group they had tried to contain.

"You mean Fairy Tail? The most destructive group I have ever tried to control? They are the ones that will save us? They are the ones that will free us from slavery? You better be right Evil, we shall not last much longer if this continues…"

Evil smiled as she turned away from the white cloaked woman. Evil had aged greatly thanks to her exile, but she still knew exactly what had to be done. Also, she was happy Life had found her successor. It would be interesting to see what exactly Ferdinand would do with a key that fit no door…

**Base of the volcano**

"_Jelllallll!"_

The screamed pierced the air as everyone looked up at the top of the volcano, their hearts freezing. The weather had cleared up, the sun shining and a slight breeze passing over the side of the volcano. Lucy and Natsu looked at each other, surprised.

"Jellal? Did they just call Jellal?" Lucy asked as Natsu nodded slightly.

"Jellal is up there, and something happened. He might be in danger!" Natsu said as he started to climb the side of the volcano.

Lucy went after him, followed by Asura and Azami. Raymond was the last to climb, but something was not right. Not a single voice had spoken in his mind since they came to the volcano. It was strange because before they arrived at the volcano, the voices were talking, but Julius's voice was getting weaker and weaker. The blonde haired child shrugged it off and he climbed after Azami and Asura. Maybe the fall on the cobblestone street had messed with something…

…

"Jellal!"

The group rushed towards Jellal's fallen body, the group gathering around them. Lucy was the first to reach him and she shook his body violently as she tried to wake him up. Natsu peered over the volcano, looking down at the bubbling lava. Raymond suddenly grabbed his head, a piercing headache going through his head.

"**Hehehehe. Poor Julius. He was taken back into his body you know. His soul is back, and now I am here, all alone. You know what that means? It means that nobody is going to shield you anymore!"**

Raymond let out a cry of pain and fell back, his body hitting the hard black rock and Raymond's hands were planted firmly on his head, trying to make the pain go away. Lucy and Natsu looked over at Raymond as the small child let out a scream as he rolled around on the ground. Azami and Asura quickly went to see what was wrong.

"Raymond! Raymond!" Azami shouted as the two mages looked down at Raymond, frantically trying to see what was wrong.

Their cries were useless. Raymond could not hear anything. He could only hear the taunting voice of Vincent as the Blood Saint slowly took control of his entire body. Meanwhile, Natsu and Lucy had managed to get Jellal to wake up. The former Wizard Saint coughed slightly as he tried to stand. Lucy held him down.

"No, you cant stand right now. Natsu, go with Azami and the others. I'll try to get help to Jellal!" Lucy shouted as Natsu hesitated.

Natsu finally walked over to Azami and Asura who were trying to help Raymond stay alive when suddenly Raymond let go of his head, his hands dropping to his sides. Raymond stopped rolling on the ground and he slowly sat up, shivering as he did so. He looked up at Natsu, Asura and Azami and slowly stood.

"…the headache…it's gone…" he said as he looked around him, amazed that Vincent had chosen to leave him alone for just a few more hours.

Azami and Asura peered down at him, trying to check if he was truly alright. Natsu kept sneaking glances at Lucy who was patching Jellal's wounds up. Raymond eventually stood and everyone faced the volcano, the intense heat coming from the lava within. Natsu took one look at the lava and grinned. This was going to be fun.

"The Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he shouted as he smashed the ground with his fist, causing the entire volcano to shake and stone steps exploded from the side of the volcano, leading down into the fiery interior.

Natsu looked surprised at that and scratched his head as everyone carefully stepped onto the stone steps.

"Huh, I didn't think that would happen…"

…

Saying it was hot was an understatement. It _burned._ The lava boiled and the heat smashed into everything within the volcano. Somehow, they survived the incredible heat and walked around the interior of the volcano, finding a small stone corridor that led inside. Natsu led the group down the linear path and Raymond observed the boiling lava as they passed several openings within the stone.

"**Hot isn't it. Don't worry though, the heat is not what will kill you. I've managed to insert myself until I need to go farther, so be careful…"**

Raymond shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest as the group came to a large iron door. Everyone stared at the door, the sound of boiling lava echoing through the path. Natsu grabbed the iron handles and threw the door open wide, shouting as he did so. The iron doors flew open to reveal a man dressed in all black, holding a black key in one hand and a key made of diamonds with red liquid in the handle in the other. He smiled, several other black keys hanging on a golden cord that ran along his chest.

"Fairy Tail, about time you came. I must avenge the deaths of my friends and I shall avenge the death of Julius! The gate of the Terror Mother! Open!"

…

**Slowly feeling back into it. And yes, the Evil you saw was Gastinfer. Anyways, short ANs. I hope you liked it in some sort of way, because I didn't like this chapter at all. Next chapter should be fun though. FF**


	37. Terror and Disease

**Oh why hello there. Here is something I decided to do from time to time. I'll recommend some manga/anime every few chapters or so if I can find any good ones. Anyways, I decided to ask you guys a question.**

**Do any of you know how to create a single picture out of say, perhaps 6? Not like a mosaic, but like a picture of Team Natsu although each of the members have their own picture. I'm being way too vague, but if you know what I am talking about, a tip on how to do that would be awesome. (Currently putting together a series of picture for Detective Conan)**

**Anyways, here is the next chapter! My recommendation will be at the end of the chapter!**

_Natsu, Azure, Azami, and Raymond had reached the chamber where the Blood Diamond Key was held. Unfortunately, Lucy could not join them as she was helping Jellal. When Natsu and the others reached the chamber, they were surprised to see a man already holding the key. Dressed in a black military uniform and having two keys in his hand. _

_One was the precious artifact they were after, and the other was a black key. Imagine the group's surprise when the man used the black key like it was a celestial key! Was this man a celestial mage? If so, what kind of creature would come from the "The Gates of Terror"?_

"Open! The Gate of the Terror Mother!"

A blinding flash of black engulfed the group of Fairy Tail mages and everything went dark for a second. Raymond let out a scream, but it was engulfed by the darkness. He heard Natsu let out a shout before the blackness crashed into him.

However, the darkness left as soon as it had come. Raymond gasped out loud, grabbing his throat as his teammates recovered from the darkness that had invaded their bodies. Raymond felt air return to his throat and he looked around at Azami and Azura who were slowly standing up, having been knocked down. Natsu was looking at Ferdinand, a glare on his face. Everyone looked at Ferdinand, expecting him to be wielding some sort of weapon, but everyone froze in their tracks when they saw Ferdinand.

He was not alone. The guild master of Tartaros was grinning triumphantly, holding the black key in his hand. He had summoned, a young woman with dark brown hair and an uninterested look on her face. She was wearing a black robe that made her look like a crow. Natsu looked shocked. Celestial spirits?

"You use Celestial Spirits!" Natsu shouted at Ferdinand.

Ferdinand took a step back. His face twisted in disgust. Celestial Spirits? The worthless creatures that dared call themselves worthy of a mage? Never! He sneered at Natsu, making fun of his misconception.

"You idiotic child! These are not Celestial Spirits! These are the goddesses that have abandoned you for so long! They are the strongest to the strong! Igneel is puny compared to the strength of the goddesses! Terror! Terror Lance!" Ferdinand screamed as the young woman held up on hand, the uninterested look still on her face.

Everyone moved quickly, knowing that whatever Ferdinand was planning, it was going to strike hard. Natsu ran forward, trying to strike quickly before Ferdinand had a chance to attack, rushing forward with his fists on fire. Asura, Raymond, and Azami quickly moved to strategic positions in which Ferdinand could not arc attacks together. They cheered Natsu on, hoping he would strike a ferocious blow that would end Ferdinand's plans with the first hit.

"Fire Dragon's Flaming Fist!" Natsu shouted as his fist smashed towards the goddess, flames rolling off of his fist.

Ferdinand smiled as the goddess blocked the attack, smashed her foot into Natsu's stomach, and slammed the pole of the lance she was carrying into the side of his head, sending the fire dragon slayer slamming against the wall of the volcano. Everyone gasped as they saw Natsu get up, terribly bruised, but with the fighting spirit still burning in his eyes. Ferdinand shrugged his shoulders mockingly as he watched Natsu stand up.

"I admire your attempt to attack me, but you failed to do any real damage. Do you really think that a fist of flame would do _anything _against Sarinfer, the goddess of Terror? Such stupidity should be punished with defeat! Terror Lance: Terrifying Strike!" Ferdinand shouted as the goddess took off, becoming a blur.

Natsu growled as he smashed his fists together, lightning crackling from his fists as well as flames. She was fast, but speed didn't matter if he destroyed the entire area!

"Fire Dragon's Lightning Roar!" Natsu screamed as fire shot from his mouth.

The column of flame travelled for a short while when suddenly electricity crackled through it, creating a combination of fire and lightning. Suddenly there was an explosion, sending smoke blasting towards Ferdinand. The Tartaros guild master covered his face as the smoke billowed from the explosion and he grit his teeth at the sight. Had Natsu managed to stop the attack?

Asura and the others were also watching intently, having watched the whole fight with eyes wide open. Had Natsu always been this powerful? The smoke finally cleared, revealing Natsu in fierce combat with the Terror. Natsu smashed his fist into Terror's face, sending the goddess skidding across the floor. Terror quickly reacted, sending the lance piercing through Natsu's cloak as Natsu dodged the blow. There was a crack as Natsu's foot connected with Terror's arm. The goddess swung the lance towards Natsu's head, completely unaffected by the fact that Natsu had just broken her arm. Natsu grabbed the lance and struggled against it, surprised by her ridiculous strength.

"Damn it! Just how strong are you!" he grunted as he slowly moved the lance away from his head.

Ferdinand laughed as he watched the struggle, ignoring the incredible heat of the volcano. This was a marvelous sight! Natsu the legendary Salamander was being beaten! Natsu let out a roar as he smashed the lance away from him, smashing his fist into Terror's face and then kicking her away. The fire dragon slayer quickly moved forward with another attack. He sucked in the air, taking advantage of the incredibly hot area.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The flame shot from Natsu's mouth and hit straight into Terror. The flames get going, heading towards Ferdinand. The black mage quickly dodged but his cloak was burned by the attack. He stood up, his smile slowly disappearing. That damn Natsu! Had he truly defeated a goddess? However, his smile returned once again when the flames disappeared to show Natsu lying on the ground, unconscious. Terror was standing over him, her lance shattered into pieces and her cloak ripped to pieces. Ferdinand smiled as Terror quickly disappeared and Ferdinand switched his keys, laughing as he did so.

"Do you see how futile it is to attack me? Now that I have defeated the strongest of your little group, I should be able to defeat you all easily! That is how I attack! Eliminate the strongest and pick off the weak members! Prepare to face death! Open! The Gate of Disease!" Ferdinand shouted joyfully as he held up another black key in the air.

Everyone besides Ferdinand quickly covered their ears as a loud buzzing sound filled their ears. It was the sound of hundreds of flies buzzing as they swirled around a young woman with long black hair and holding a cleaver with strange runes written in the shiny steel. She wore the same black cloak as Terror and Ferdinand smiled confidently. There was no way these weaklings would survive this attack!

"I really didn't want it to end this way. You could have had a better life! Our goal was to create a better world! I was saved by Julius and I intend to repay him in full! Disease! Bubonic Plague!" Ferdinand said darkly as Azami and Azura quickly moved to defend themselves.

"Spirit Make! Spirit Swords!" Azami shouted as hundreds of swords made of wispy white smoke appeared around him, sending themselves hurling against the steel cleaver of Disease.

To Azami's dismay, the goddess easily cut through the swords, swinging her cleaver, barely missing Azami. The goddess of Disease held out her palm in front of Azami as she tried to escape, but it was too late. From the pale palm of Disease, came hundreds of flies. They swarmed around Azami, causing the female mage to scream. Raymond screamed as he charged towards Disease, fist shining with light. The goddess easily kicked Raymond away and hundreds of rats burrowed up from the ground, gnawing at Raymond's legs as the young child tried to kill the rats. Asura had not been targeted yet by Disease so he roared as he sent flame flying towards the flies swarming around Azami. He was careful to stop the flames from harming Azami, but all the flies were incinerated on the spot.

"Take this! The final attack! Inferno!"

Asura tackled Disease, trapping the goddess in a bear hug. He began to use his deadliest move, Inferno. He converted every bit of his magic energy into flame energy, creating a massive firestorm that engulfed Disease and Asura in a whirling mass of fire. Azami could only watch in horror as the flames engulfed them all. She was about to run in to get Asura out when she heard Asura shout something from inside the tornado of fire.

"Use your Spirit Buster! We can do this! Ferdinand should be low on magical power by now! For Fairy Tail!" his voice shouted from the tornado of fire.

Azami hesitated but overcame her nervousness as she held out her hand at the tornado. The fight would end here! For Fairy Tail!

"Spirit Buster!" she shouted as she felt a sudden pang of pain go through her.

The huge axe had indeed formed in her hand, but at a cost. It seemed that she couldn't use her magic as efficiently anymore! Nevertheless, she let out a roar of anger as she smashed the huge axe into the ground, sending a wave of white light cutting through the tornado of fire, straight into Disease.

"For Fairy Tail! For Natsu!" Azami shouted as the flames around Disease died down.

Asura felt his arms suddenly grow weak and his grip around Disease loosened. The flame mage suddenly fell back, feeling much too tired to move. All the while, Asura was surprised. He should have had more magical power than this! Disease slowly grinned as Asura fell to the ground, unable to move.

"Anyone who is attacked by power, loses their ability to attack efficiently!" Disease shouted as she ran forward, cleaver glinting viciously.

Azami dodged the first strike and was about to attack with a spirit sword when she froze. Her magic would not work! She turned to face Disease, but it was too late. The fist connected with Azami and she skid across the rocky floor of the volcano, unable to move. Ferdinand had watched the entire fight and nodded his head, satisfied with the outcome. His handle of the goddesses was a bit shaky, but he would soon gain complete control. He recalled Disease and picked out his best key. Ferdinand turned his cold gaze to Raymond who had managed to kill off all the rats. Ferdinand gave a half smile.

"You're the only one left kid. Pretty sad actually. You managed to kill a few rats and your friends managed to do enough damage to Disease and Terror to the point that I had to recall them to be safe. Like I said, I kill off the strong first, and then I take care of the weak. And you, my friend, are the weakest of the weak!" Ferdinand jeered.

Raymond had hung his head, his eyes looking down at the remains of the rats. Anger was building up inside of him. Ferdinand was right. Raymond had barely managed to fight off the rats and his friends had fought a goddess! Every single mission he had gone on, he had been useless. Raymond clenched his fist. Just one more time…

"Are you ready to serve me…" he growled menacingly to himself.

"**Ohhoho? Raymond is finally calling upon me! It will be my pleasure!" **

"Then do it!" Raymond roared as he brought his head up.

Ferdinand squinted to see Raymond. He noticed that Raymond had blue eyes before, but now one of his eyes had become red. What was going on? He shrugged, not caring about what Raymond was doing. He held up the key and he grinned as he thought of his victory.

"Open! The Gate of the Queen of all things dark! Open the Gate of Evil!" he roared as Raymond started to walk towards him, grinning darkly.

An awkward moment of silence passed as Ferdinand looked at the key in surprise. Had something gone wrong? Why was the goddess of Evil not appearing? He looked at the key and cocked his head to the side.

"Huh, something is strange. Where the hell is the goddess of Evil?" he shouted angrily as he waved the key in the air.

Raymond grinned as he looked at Ferdinand, feeling power move through his body.

"**That's because you're looking right at him."**

…

**I hope that was pretty good. As for the flies, try to imagine the scene in the movie 'The Hunger Games' where the tracker jacker nest explodes. We finally fully revealed the twist in the story and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter we go deeper into Vincent and we see Zeref, causing the destruction he so dearly wanted to cause during the canon story. I hope you liked the chapter and I will see you all later! FF**


	38. Evil One

**Why hello! I forgot to recommend a manga/anime last chapter so I will in the beginning.**

**I recommend Detective Conan very highly. I grew up watching it and it is probably one of the most intricate mangas out there. With over 800 chapters, over 600 anime episodes, and a very lovable (and hateable) cast, it is one of the best in my opinion.**

**Anyways, here we are with the next chapter! Enjoy.**

_Vincent has managed to root himself deep enough in Raymond's body to the point that he can easily manipulate the boy. Raymond does not realize just how dangerous this is. Julius is no longer with Raymond to stop Vincent so the boy must fend on his own. However, there is something strange about Vincent. He currently stands in front of Ferdinand, ready to fight the Tartaros guild master. _

_Ferdinand has managed to retrieve the Blood Diamond Key, but he must defeat Team Fairy Tail to get anywhere, or does he?_

"**That's because you're looking right at him."**

Ferdinand took a cautious step back, growling. God of Evil? That was impossible! There was never any sort of mention of a god in The Void! The boy was bluffing! Ferdinand's face slowly changed back into his confident grin.

"Oh stop bluffing. There can never be a 'god' among goddesses. The goddesses would never allow it! Your life is about to end! I hope you have enjoyed it!" Ferdinand roared as he held up another black key.

Vincent slowly grinned as he saw Ferdinand raise the key. No matter what goddess he summoned, it would be no use. He was the God of Evil, the strongest of the dark ones. Nobody could even think of matching him! Vincent let out a shriek of pure joy as he put his hands on the ground, adopting an animal like pose. He was on all fours, grinning widely as Ferdinand opened the black iron gate.

"War! Come forth! Teach this little idiot what a true goddess is!" Ferdinand growled as a young woman wearing armor and holding a spear and a battle axe appeared.

Vincent laughed insanely as he shot forward, easily dodging the spear throw from War. The young boy rolled out of the way as War slammed the battle axe down on the ground and Vincent quickly bit into it, chewing the steel like it was a piece of bread. The blonde haired boy went into a frenzy, biting into every piece of metal on War's body. Finally, he opened his mouth and Ferdinand screamed as War as sucked into his mouth.

Vincent closed his mouth nodding as a spear appeared in his hand.

"You have been forgiven, War." Vincent said quietly as he ran forward, spear pointing straight at Ferdinand.

The guild master of Tartaros was sweating like crazy, backing away as Vincent rapidly approached. He reached for another key but the golden cord holding them snapped, sending the black keys spilling onto the red rock. Ferdinand screamed in terror as Vincent jumped into the air, eyes gleaming.

"There is a reason they called me the Blood Saint!" Vincent laughed as the spear plunged into Ferdinand's body, the guild master of Ferdinand gargling as he dropped to his knees.

Vincent pulled the spear out, watching as Ferdinand grabbed the Blood Diamond Key and twisted it, opening a huge black hole in the middle of the volcanic cave. Vincent cocked his head to the side.

"Just what are you planning?" he asked as Ferdinand smiled weakly.

"It's over for you little boy. You may have defeated me, but I managed to pass everything along. Your pathetic guild, Fairy Tail, will never be able to defeat Zeref, the strongest Nightmare Mage." Ferdinand gurgled as blood spilled onto the rock.

Ferdinand reached for the black hole, expecting a hand to come save him, but instead, a three red lights in a triangle formation shined, a robotic voice following it.

"You do not belong here. Rejection Code: 192." The robotic voice* said as Ferdinand squinted his eyes.

The Tartaros guild master let out a scream as several metal blades hooked onto him, pulling him into the black hole. His screams were heard for the longest time, echoing around the room as the black hole disappeared, the Blood Diamond Key clattering to the floor, the black keys bubbling and turning to piles of molten metal.

Vincent watched as black vapor came from the keys and took the form of several young women wearing black cloaks. He recognized Disease, Terror, War, Jealousy, Deceit, Rage, and several other goddesses as they kneeled before him.

"We are sorry Vincent. That mortal man managed to capture us in our weakest moment, decide our punishment." They said together.

Vincent let out a chuckle and looked around the room, looking at the bodies of Natsu, Azami, and Asura. Such weak beings mortals were. He looked back at the goddesses and smiled.

"You're punishment will not be put forth this time. Just be ready to stand by my side when the time comes." He said as the goddess stood and slowly disappeared into black vapor.

After the goddesses were gone, Vincent yawned, stretching as he lay on the ground, ready to sleep. Everything was going according to plan….

**Crocus**

"Oh my god! What the hell is that!"

"Ahhhh!"

"Mother! Mother! Nooo!"

"Hold still! We need a doctor over here!"

The screams of soldiers rang out across the battlefield as explosions rocked the once capitol of The Empire of Fiore. The city was falling apart, most of its grand buildings destroyed as cannons fired into the once beautiful rock. Soldiers ran in the street, fighting each other. Machine guns rattled on the Hohenheim and Garlan side as both empires fought to keep their territory safe from enemy hands. Angkol forces advanced steadily into the city, a very dangerous individual watching close-by.

"So beautiful, this destruction is…" the black haired man said joyfully as an explosion rocked the building across the street, sending three soldiers slamming into the ground.

Nobody had noticed the black haired man dressed in several white robes observing the battle from on top of one of the largest buildings in the city. He was Zeref, the strongest Nightmare Mage. Zeref smiled as he watched several Garlan soldiers shot at a group of Angkol grunts, sending the Angkol soldiers to their graves. A machine gun rattled as several Angkol brutes were torn apart by the rapid shots of lead smashing their armor to pieces.

"All this destruction and chaos! Yes! This is what I wanted all those years! Finally! The sounds of the dying, the screams of the wounded, the desperate prayers of those in battle! This is what will usher in a new era of supreme peace!" Zeref shouted as suddenly several Garlan soldiers spotted Zeref on top of the building he was on.

They aimed their rifles and fired, the bullets passing straight through him. Zeref flicked his hand and one of the soldiers exploded, sending parts of his body scattering everywhere and the other soldiers covered in blood as they screamed in terror as Zeref hopped off the building to look at the two soldiers. Zeref's eyes turned blood red and he whispered to the soldiers.

"The Suicide Eyes!" Zeref said delightfully as the soldiers shot each other with their guns.

Zeref turned from the bodies of the soldiers in time to see an arc of cannonballs slamming into several buildings. Zeref laughed as he raised his hands up, causing a purple light to move through the city, causing all who were in the radius to suddenly choke up and fall to the ground, water spilling from their body.

"Yes! Destruction! Death! This is what I have wanted all along!" Zeref cackled as more screams arose from the city.

…

"My lord! Half of the invading force is dead!" shouted an Angkol generals as Sebastian dropped the map he was holding, the young king rushing to the observation post.

Sebastian raised his binoculars to view the city, watching in horror as several Angkol rifleman were turned to dust randomly, and as three grunts suddenly fell to the ground, water spilling from their mouth. The binoculars fell to the ground as the king suddenly fell backwards, barely being caught as his generals and advisors crowded around him.

"My lord!"

"Hamos help him!"

Sebastian felt tears drop from his eyes as he re-watched what he had seen. He had been such a fool! A series of explosions suddenly sounded, sending more screams into the air. Several voices shouted through the streets.

"Magina!*"

Sebastian roared in sadness as he stood up, grabbing the pistol out of one of his generals' holsters. He aimed it at his own head, screaming at the soldiers who were deserting from the battle.

"Forgive me brave soldiers! What a fool I have been! I take my own life as a sacrifice to Hamos!" Sebastian screamed as the generals tried to take the gun from him.

Sebastian pulled the trigger, expecting to meet Hamos. Instead, a general tackled him to the floor, knocking the gun away and shouting at the other generals. Sebastian felt himself being dragged back as several of the generals began shouting and pointing towards the cities. Sebastian felt dead inside. In total, the war had cost Angkol three million soldiers, three million men who would never see the light of day again…

…

"Zeref! Zeref has returned!"

The screams of frightened Garlan soldiers filled the air as Lidia turned her attention to the soldiers who were coming back from the front lines. She grabbed one White Army soldier who was covered in blood and dust.

"Is this true? Zeref is back?" Lidia asked, hoping to the goddesses that Zeref had not returned.

The soldier shook his head rapidly, his eyes full of fear as he pointed back to the front lines.

"I saw him! He killed the entire battalion in a single move!" the soldier shouted as Lidia nodded grimly, sending the soldier on his way.

Hyde looked at Lidia grimly. Zeref had returned? Just what did he want? All he had done was create destruction! Hyde looked around desperately at the other generals who were scrambling to find someone to defeat Zeref.

"Looks like you could use some help."

Hyde and Lidia turned to see a barefooted blonde woman looking at them. She was joined by a short woman with extremely long blue hair who was wearing a cloak. Pretty soon, many others were appearing. One was a brown haired man wearing a brown trench coat with the symbol of Goliath stamped on it. Lidia recognized Makarov in the group, Goldfinger was there as well. Hunter grinned from within the group. Even Hitoshi and Tadaaki were there!**

They all looked at Hyde and Lidia and smiled.

"We are here to put the evil one to justice."

**And there you go! Next chapter will be the end of the official arc, with only a few more chapters after that until the story ends! **

**References: *This is a reference to Toys Can't Die**

****This is a coalition of mages who are dead and alive in the order I mentioned them in. Mavis, Malice, David, Makarov, Goldfinger, Hunter, Hitoshi, and Tadaaki. There are others in the group but the ones I mentioned will be the ones doing most of the work. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! FF**


	39. Zeref and the Coalition of Light

**Just a notice, I made a twitter. It is called Fatherfail so go follow me for updates on what is going on with my stories! This chapter is the second to last chapter in Of Body and Mind. Zeref vs the Coalition of Light and we get to see a good resolution to the bulk of the story, however….**

_Reports of Zeref began pouring in, soldiers reporting that they saw the death mage on the battlefield. Sebastian had tried to kill himself, his mental health finally breaking down over the course of the war. Lidia and Hyde were also deeply disturbed, however, the arrival of a group of mages relieved them. However, some of the mages there had been dead! It was Zeref against the Coalition of Light!_

Lidia and Hyde looked at the group of mages standing in front of them, surprised and shocked. Some of the mages in the group were dead! How could they come back to life! Lidia looked over her shoulder to see the city of Crocus, flames erupting from within the once beautiful city. The sounds of gun shots were drowned out by screams as an explosion rocked the city, purple flames erupting from in front of one of the high court buildings. Lidia closed her eyes, trying to get the disturbing images out of her head. She looked back at the mages in front of her, shivering.

"…Wh-who are you?" Lidia asked, slightly dizzy from what she had just seen.

Hyde felt a shiver go through him as the barefoot mage spoke, her face serious. She gestured to the other mages behind her and smiled.

"I am Mavis Vermillion, founder of Fairy Tail. The mages behind me are my friends and allies. Do not be alarmed. I know that some us have been dead for quite some time. However, the Pact of Justice does not simply, void upon death." Mavis explained calmly as Hyde frowned.

"Pact of Justice? Is that a deal made upon mages to uphold justice in the magical world?" Hyde asked, feeling dread and joy battle against each other as screams came from the city.

Mavis nodded and Hyde left out a slow breath. This was going to be a bit hard to understand for this hectic time. Lidia clenched her teeth, still battling with the things she had seen earlier. She was still in the world, but she was way too out of it to do anything.

"The Pact of Justice was signed at the end of my life. I signed it on my deathbed and it has been passed from mage to mage throughout history. Once a mage signs the pact, they are obligated to defend justice within the magical world. And now," Mavis said as a hammer made of steel appeared in her hand, the symbol of Fairy Tail stamped into its side, "We have come to bring down justice on one of the biggest trouble makers in the history of the magical world. Zeref, the first Nightmare Mage is the "Evil One", the first of three to be the biggest trouble makers in the magical world. And for his crimes…he shall be _punished!"_

The mages in the group let out a shout as they suddenly started to shimmer, disappearing in golden light. Lidia and Hyde turned back to the city to see several streaks of gold shooting across the sky. Another explosion of purple created a shockwave that knocked Lidia slightly back, but Hyde quickly helped her up, praying to the goddesses.

"Please…please…save our nation and all who inhabit it!"

**Crocus, in front of one of the high courts**

Zeref was enjoying killing anyone who dared approach him. He had quickly killed off an entire squad of Angkol brutes who thought that their puny axes would do anything against his ultimate form. Their armor turned to sand as his fist smashed straight through their souls, killing them upon impact. Several machineguns lay abandoned in the rubble of the street, left behind by several crews of Garlan gunners who had tried shooting Zeref to death. He let out a cackle of joy as he pointed a single finger at a set of shops along the road, the shops exploding, sending the rubble and debris showering over the street. The entire city looked like it had just gone through a major earthquake thanks to the foolish conflicts of the mortals.

Zeref smiled as he thought of the outcome when he was done here. He would easily topple the monarchies of every nation in the world and unite the whole world under the Kingdom of Heaven. Those fools at the Tower of Heaven had the right idea, just on a pathetically small scale. The entire world would be his! He had easily manipulated the three most powerful monarchies in the world and had weakened them considerably. It was almost time to finish them off once and for all! Zeref pointed both fingers at the huge marble building that was one of the high courts. The marble had several large chunks missing and was stained red with blood in some areas, but Zeref grinned as he thought of the destruction it would cause. The death mage was about to destroy the building when he heard a voice.

"Justice can not be avoided! Repent!"

A short figure landed in front of him, the death mage looking down to see an old man, his face wrinkled with age, but his eyes had the fierceness of a lion. Zeref looked over the man in a split second, recognizing the white robes of the Illuminati. Suddenly Zeref felt something smash in to him, the death mage sliding back, grabbing his chest. Goldfinger grinned as he watched the other mages appear, ready to fight. The guild master of Illuminati ran quickly, knowing his window of opportunity was very small. He charged forward while Zeref was still recovering and the Illuminati guild master pointed a finger at the death mage, whispering the cursed words.

"Bells!"

~_Ding~_

Zeref froze, roaring in pain as he grabbed Goldfinger's arm, the Illuminati guild master's eyes widening in shock. Bells should have finished him off! That was one of the strongest spells in existence! Goldfinger watched fearfully as his vision suddenly started to fade, the world suddenly moving quickly and out of proportion. Zeref roared in pain and in laughter as Goldfinger let out a grunt of pain and then suddenly went limp, dead*.

The death mage kicked the body of the once most powerful mage in the world away and gave a short laugh, a smile on his lips. He looked at every mage standing before him, scoffing at their low levels of power. Just how did they plan on finishing him off?

"I see that you have all come to try to bring me to justice. Futile attempts. You had your chance when I was in my dormant form! It's too late to stop me now! I've just killed the strongest of your little group!" Zeref laughed as the other mages roared in anger.

"There is strength in numbers Zeref! If we all work together, we _will _bring you to justice once and for all!" David shouted as he ran forward, Malice following behind him.

David's arm burst into white flames and Malice quickly requipped armor and a heavy mace lay in her hand. Zeref grinned as David slammed his fist into Zeref, causing the death mage to stumble. His body soon burst into flames, the death mage taking no notice as he grabbed David and placed his palm on his chest and grinning.

"Death Magic!"

David let out a scream as he fell to the ruined street, grabbing his chest. It was as if acid was eating away at his body, the skin burning away and the body soon fading away. Zeref quickly turned his attention to Malice, her mace swinging straight into Zeref's face, sending the death mage smashing against one of the marble columns of the high court. Several pieces of stone rose from the ground and hurled themselves against Zeref, the death mage growling in anger as he pointed a finger at Malice. Shadows quickly crawled across the ground, snaking towards Malice. The former Fairy Tail ace dodged the first few shadows, but soon got tangled in the shadows. They slowly covered her, Malice shouting to the group.

"This was the best I could do! Forgive me!" she shouted as Zeref turned and froze to see what the other members were doing as he fought David and Malice.

They were in a star formation, Mavis standing closest to Zeref. They all had their palms together and Zeref let out a roar of anger.

"This will not be the end! Your pathetic attacks will be nothing against my power! Death Magic, Apocalypse!" Zeref roared the lighting in the area suddenly dropped severely, the horizon turning red as the members of the Coalition of Light shouted.

"Fairy Law, amplified!" Mavis shouted as everyone poured their magical pour into her as she created the seal, Zeref screaming as he unleashed his attack.

"Level the city! Kill everyone!" he roared as the golden light slammed into him like a brick wall.

The black fire erupted from the ground, the entire city going black besides the golden light that was smashing into Zeref. The mages who were supporting Mavis let out shouts of effort as they tried to support Mavis and keep the dark light at bay as well. Zeref felt his existence being slowly wiped out and increased his efforts. The mages let out a roar, Mavis urging them on.

"Push forward! Ignore all pain! We must bring the Evil One to justice!"

"**Evil One to justice!"**

…

The aftermath was horrible. Every single mage who had fought against Zeref faded away. Mavis was the only one to stay long enough to see the destruction that Zeref had caused. They had lost Goldfinger, and they had lost the entire Coalition of Light in the process. Mavis gave a weak smile as she looked around the ruined city. It would take years to rebuild from this war, but it would all be possible thanks to their victory. They had paved the way for future generations with their sacrifice…

_The Zeref Treaty was signed a few days later in the Hohenheim capital. The Angkols were forced to return all of the land they had taken from the Hohenheims and they were told to withdraw all forces from the middle continent. However, a small friendship formed between the three empires, each empire remembering the terrible images they had seen. _

_The mages of the world were celebrated as stories of bravery came from the front lines and elsewhere. Jellal was nursed back to health and Fairy Tail's team at Ash Town returned safely. However, Raymond showed a sign of change. His left eye was still red. Tartaros had been defeated, Snake Fang stopped, and the war had finally ended. The world was at peace….perhaps…_

**There you go! The second to last chapter! **

**References: *I did this to show just how strong Zeref is.**

**Anyways, like I said, my twitter is up! Follow Fatherfail on twitter! Thanks for reading! FF**


	40. God of Evil

**Last chapter of this story! It was truly a long journey, having started this story so long ago. The ending will be interesting. This sort of ending is my first since The Silence Uprising. Anyways, here is the last chapter! Enjoy.**

_The Clouded War was over. Finally, peace was restored. With the elimination of Tartaros and the disbanding of Snake Fang, the citizens of the world could finally rest. The peace treaty was formally signed and Angkol forces left the middle continent. However, there was a terrible cost. Most of the Hohenheim cities were destroyed. Millions had died in the conflict and the people of the Hohenheim Empire were traumatized at the death of an entire line of young men. The Garlan Empire enacted a program of financial support to their sister empire and slowly but surely, the Hohenheim Empire recovered. _

_But it was not over. Even with the problems erased from the world, the attacks continued. Magical attacks struck the city of Magnolia for an entire week. Nobody left the city alive, and many were killed by an unknown magical force. The remaining population huddled inside their homes, desperately praying to the goddesses for aid. But no help came. The goddesses were busy rebuilding their own fallen kingdom and could not provide any help. The guild of Fairy Tail was seriously concerned by these attacks and were more than certain that there was still one more person who held a grudge against them._

**?**

Julius stared up into the sky, observing the stars that sparkled above him like hundreds of crystals in a chandelier. The wind blew across the dry plains of Asarabia as Julius looked across the cold desert to see a trading village. It was a village he had visited before. He had come to pay his respects to someone who had been close to him. He stared at the village, recounting how his "life" had come to be like this. He had been nothing more than a pawn throughout this entire struggle, but now he had a purpose. He had tried his hardest to prevent such an event from happening, but he had been too late. Jack had been sly, only pretending to merge the memories of Fairy Tail into his body. In truth, he had done this far before his body had been resurrected, having once been a member of Fairy Tail himself. He had simply wanted to remove Bael from the group. After Ferdinand, Bael was the only one strong enough to challenge Jack.

The lights of the village were bright although not many were shining. The village had once been a medium sized town but that was many years ago. Julius made a fist when he thought about what he now represented. He represented the happiness of Fairy Tail. The dear memories of the legendary guild had been stored inside of him. Julius let out a slow sigh, the sound quickly being absorbed by the sand dunes that were around him.

"I will live on, for Fairy Tail." He said to himself as he started to walk towards the village, his mind crowded with the things he could do, free from the control of anyone.

First, he would pay his respects.

**Fairy Tail**

The guild was loud in celebration. It was the first day without a magical attack! The city was largely destroyed, but the people of Magnolia were hardy and formed their own civilian militia. Meanwhile, the mages and civilians helped rebuild the city. But right now, it was a time for a little bit of celebration. They had managed to defeat the evil that had threatened them! Fairy Tail was being hailed as the heroes of the world and their rivals were green with envy. The guild members were laughing, drinking, and playing games as everyone celebrated their victories. Azami and Azura had found seats with Team Natsu and they were engaged in a lively conversation about Saber Tooth and the other guilds. Raymond was sitting beside Azami and Wendy, wondering how his parents were doing. Raymond grabbed his head and grit his teeth suddenly. He had been having pounding headaches recently, but they always passed within seconds.

"**Time is running out for you…"**

Raymond shook his head violently and took a sip of the water he had in front of him in a glass. Everyone else seemed to be having a great time, but Raymond was feeling a bit sick. It was near the end of the day and Makarov suddenly stepped up to the podium in the center of the lunchroom to speak. He looked like he had too much to drink, slightly off balance and face growing red. The guild grew silent as Makarov coughed.

"This guild dah best! Yeah!" Makarov shouted, completely intoxicated.

The guild burst into laughter as Makarov stepped down from the podium and went to get more beer, Mira taking the beer from him as soon as he filled his mug back up. Everything was great, until the doors to the guild slammed wide open.

Everyone stopped talking and looked who had entered. It was stranger, holding some kind of plate like object. The stranger was dressed in a ruby red robe that split at his feet so he could walk. His hair was blonde, but he had brown eyes. On closer inspection, the plate was made of gold and silver, several runes carved into the silver pieces that surrounded a golden centerpiece. The man smiled as Makarov peered at the man with curiosity.

"Ah, hello! Who might you be?" the guild master asked as the man replied warmly.

"My name is Lester Gitz. I am the leader of Snake Fang." He said, his smile completely devoid of any sort of hatred.

Everyone started to look at each other in confusion. Wasn't Zeref the leader of Snake Fang? Raymond froze in his seat, too afraid to move. The others at the table started to stand up, ready to fight. Gray pointed his finger at Lester who looked at Gray with a smiling face.

"You, you aren't a friend that is for sure. You'll regret coming in here!" Gray shouted, "Ice Make: Lance!"

The icy cold lances shot across the room, threatening to pierce straight through Gray. Lester's facial expression changed dramatically as the lances approached his body. His face became serious, unsmiling as he held out a single hand and the lances suddenly turned around and shot back at Gray! The ice mage was too surprised to move as the lances smashed into Gray much stronger than Gray had originally cast them as. Erza let out a roar of anger as she burst from behind Lester, having snuck behind him. She let loose a hail of swords as they all smashed towards Lester with blinding speed.

"I don't think you realize…," Lester said calmly as the swords smashed around him, not a single one hitting on target, "that I am a mage of incredible powers. I am, a Mirror Mage."

The guild let out a gasp of surprise and Natsu and Gajeel were slightly confused. They had never heard of Mirror Mage, but Gildartz definitely knew what was going on. The guild ace stepped forward, ready to challenge the dark mage as Erza landed and held out a sword. Gildartz faced Lester and narrowed his eyes.

"You are a mage that can copy anyone's attacks and send them right back at the caster with your own level of power. Very well, I will be your opponent. If you came here looking for a challenge, you will get it!" Gildartz roared as he charged at the Snake Fang master.

Lester grinned as he dodged Gildartz's fist, but the dark mage let out a scream of pain as the second fist smashed hi across the jaw. The dark mage went flying against the wall of the guild as Gildartz grabbed his head, and slammed into the floor, the wood cracking, sending splinters everywhere.

"What's wrong? Can't block physical attacls?" Gildartz taunted angrily as Lester struggled to get up from the floor.

The dark guild master was still holding onto the plate of gold and silver and he smiled weakly as it glinted slightly. Gildartz suddenly let out a growl as he staggered back in pain. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his knee. The guild ace grabbed his knee, growling as he saw Lester start to walk towards him. He was smiling darkly as the other guild members were too afraid to move besides Erza who quickly tried to cut Lester's head off with her sword. The dark guild master swung around, blocking the sword with his plate of precious metal. Erza let out a cry of pain as she was smashed against the floor of the guild, unable to move. She was paralyzed! Lester turned his attention to Gildartz who was slowly rising to his feet. The plate of precious metal was raised above his head and it glowed with light as Gildartz froze and fell back. He was frozen like Erza.

"Now, who will challenge me! I did not come all the way here to play with weaklings! You will all die anyways so why die like cowards?" Lester taunted as everyone grit their teeth and tried to overcome their terrible fear.

Mira moved to face the enemy and Makarov was about to fight as well, when everyone saw Raymond stand up and walk towards Lester. The young boy's left eye was red and everyone started to shout at Raymond not to fight. He was too weak! Lester raised his eyebrows when he saw the child.

"Trying to defend your precious guild eh? That is honorable, but I will kill you, even if you are a child." Lester said as he looked at Raymond.

The child began to laugh, the laugh one of malicious intent. The child continued to laugh as he looked at Lester.

"**Fool! You are but a mere mortal! I am nothing short of a god!" ** Raymond roared as he moved quickly, bringing his hands together.

Lester scoffed at his statement as he quickly ran towards Raymond, expecting the battle to be over quickly. The dark guild master slammed his fist into Raymond's body expecting the kid to fly backwards, but the fist sank into the child's body! Raymond grinned as he came face to face with Lester. Traces of fear started to show on Lester's face as Raymond chuckled.

"**My motives are the same as yours. I am here to cause trouble. So are you. But the real difference between us is, I can kill you as much as I want. You, however, can never kill me!" **Raymond laughed as Lester pulled his hand out from Raymond's body, **"Stardust Barrage!"**

The reaction was instantaneous. Lester could not even move before huge yellow shards smashed into him. The dark guild master let out a scream of pain as every shard burst into hundreds of other shards that bored into Lester's body, causing pain to root itself deep into every corner of his body. Raymond smiled slowly as everyone behind him gasped in horror. Was this really Raymond? Asura and Azami were especially horrified. Raymond was a demon!

Raymond watched with interest as Lester started to slowly stand up, still clutching the Circle of War in his hand. He smashed it into the ground, and light engulfed the ground where Magnolia stood. Lester laughed and coughed as his wounds bleed heavily. Lester nodded his head in satisfaction as Raymond came up to his broken body.

"You will all die. The Magnolia fault…I have created…." Lester coughed as Raymond nodded his head.

"**An interesting plan, but I have no intention to stay with this guild of pathetic weaklings. You were my final test, and it seems that I have passed. I would never touch on of Matsu's work, but this is an exception. He seems to want it back anyways." **Raymond said happily as his hand grew into large metal claws and slashed across Lester's chest, killing the leader of Snake Fang immediately.

Lester's dead body thudded against the wooden floor of the guild as silence engulfed the guild. Everyone was too horrified to even speak. The sweet little child that had been Raymond…had become a monster. Raymond picked up the Circle of War as he looked down at Lester's body.

"**You can manipulate Zeref, but you can not manipulate me." **Raymond whispered as he turned away from Lester's bleeding body and walked to the middle of the guild, the guild members backing away in fear.

"**Give me what I want you foolish goddesses!" **Raymond roared at the huge hole that was created in the ceiling from Star Dust Barrage.

The guild members of Fairy Tail gasped as a woman dressed in white robes appeared before Raymond. Her face was wrinkled and she was many years old with a hunched back. However, her eyes were fierce as she regarded the demon that stood before her.

"Very well. You have done everything we have ordered you to do. As decreed, I will make you the first god!" The old woman shouted as she touched Raymond's head.

A golden light surrounded Raymond, young child screaming in terrible pain as electricity shocked through his body. There was bright flash of light and the members of the guild covered their eyes. When they opened them, Erza and Gildartz were starting to walk again, and Raymond was standing in the middle of the guild, wearing a crown made of black iron and dressed in elaborate black robes. He smiled happily as he opened his palm to reveal a lacrima. He walked over to Azami and Azura who were frozen in fear. He dropped the lacrima in front of them and chuckled.

"**That is your friend Raymond. He was nothing more than a parasite. He lived within **_**my **_**body, but repressed my soul! Now, I have regained control of my entire body! Perhaps you will find a body for your friend, maybe not." **Vincent laughed cruelly as he rejoined the old woman in the white robes.

She held out her hands over the wooden floor of the guild and spoke quietly.

"Those who have died too early must be brought back for their work is not done," the old woman said quietly as she looked up at the members of Fairy Tail, "We also have high hopes for you, Fairy Tail. Do not let us down."

The old woman and Vincent started to fade away and were quickly gone. Asura picked the lacrima off the floor and the two of them looked at the lacrima with burning determination.

"Don't worry Raymond. We will find a body for you not matter what!"

**The Fortress, Arcana**

The large bronze bells that hung inside the huge gates of The Fortress started ring, sending their warm earthy tone over the fortress as everyone started to wake up in the fortress. The generals all ran towards Lidia's room. There were rumors that Tadaaki and Hitoshi had not in fact died in the battle against Zeref! They were flesh and blood! They talked with the soldiers they met and they laughed, but the bells continued to ring. They realized that Tadaaki and Hitoshi's return was not what was setting off the bells. There was only one reason the bells could be going off! The queen was in danger!

Tadaaki and Hitoshi led the charge as generals and soldiers stormed up the stairs with Lucia following close behind the two as they eventually came to Lidia's door and barged straight through into the room. Tadaaki drew his sword but lowered it when he saw who was standing next to the bed where Lidia was lying. Hyde had his hand on Lidia's stomach, his face one of pure joy. Lidia had her eyes closed and Bartholomew and Cyrus quickly pushed through group of soldiers and officials that were standing in the rather large chamber.

"Her majesty is pregnant! All hail Crown Prince Xalender!" Hyde shouted he knelt at the side of the bed.

Every soldier in the room drew their swords and knelt where they stood, their sword point touching the ground as they bowed their head. Everyone knelt but Cyrus and Bartholomew refused to kneel.

**Lidia was pregnant with the next monarch of the Garlan Empire.**

…

**And that is the end of the story! I thought the ending was mixture of both sadness and happiness. I hope you guys liked the story! It is my longest story and I think that is the last big project I will be doing for a while! I will see you all later! FF**


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